A 6-month program of moderate exercise -- including walking, jogging or using a stationary bike for one hour, four to five times per week -- turned back the clock 30 years for five middle-aged men. The men were able to regain the cardiovascular fitness levels they had as 20-year-olds.

This study demonstrates that it's never too late to get back in shape.

The study began in 1966 when five healthy 20-year-old men went through a battery of tests that measured how their aerobic power -- their body's ability to use oxygen -- was affected by 3 weeks of total bed rest.

Thirty years later the same men underwent similar types of cardiovascular fitness tests before and after a 6-month exercise regimen.

Age, the researchers found, had not been kind to the men, whose weight had climbed 25%, on average. In addition, their body fat had doubled and their aerobic capacity had declined 11% over the 30 years. However, in a "remarkable" finding, 30 years of aging had done less to lower the men's aerobic power than had the 3 weeks of bed rest in 1966.

Moreover, through 6 months of exercise, the men were able to reverse the effects of aging and boost their aerobic power by about 15%.

In the study, the men started out exercising twice a week for 15 minutes, then gradually increased their activity each week so that at 6 months, they were getting approximately one hour a day, 4 or 5 days each week.

The type of exercise doesn't matter just as long as you do it consistently. And he pointed out that it does not take a tremendous effort to recover and maintain substantial cardiovascular fitness.

Circulation September 18, 2001;104:1350-1357

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Doesn't it always seem to come back to the simple and inexpensive basics? You don't need to go out and purchase human growth hormone to slow down aging. Constant exercise seems to work just fine. It is quite clear that one of the major mechanisms of exercise's effectiveness is that it works on improving insulin metabolism. Exercise not only lowers insulin levels, but it improves insulin receptor sensitivity, which is one of the reasons it is such a powerful health-promoting tool. It is important to understand that following an optimized eating plan is even more important than exercise to slowing down the aging process. If you are truly interested in slowing down the aging process, then I highly recommend you get the "Secrets of Anti-Aging" telephone clinic. Co-hosted by me, and primarily led by Ron Rosedale, M.D., who is widely considered to be the leading anti-aging doctor in the country, the "Secrets of Anti-Aging" tele clinic will teach you ALL of the following: Five practical ways to improve your skin How to increase your energy as you age gracefully How to improve your aches and pains & overcome your loss of flexibility The role supplements play in preventing aging How to improve your memory and reverse your mental decline How you can reverse the factors causing you to age rapidly and MORE! Dr. Rosedale is extremely gifted in interpreting the complex basic science research into practical steps you can take to increase your longevity, and improve the way you feel - even if you suffer from a degenerative disease! Related Articles: Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects Reversing Damage Caused by Sugar to Fight Aging Exercise May Slow Some Effects Of Aging Exercise Improves Aging Related Mental Decline & Alzheimer's Exercise Helps Fight Aging