No time for a walk? Try this eight minute yoga flow right where you are, with Akimboo’s Brett Larkin.
by Carolyn
When I was diagnosed with a scary medical condition, I began to wonder, “What did I do to bring this on?” It was breast cancer, and I’m fine now, thanks. Western medicine has progressed over the last decades and it is not the frightening diagnosis it used to be.
But still I wondered. Was I doing something chronically wrong to bring on the condition? If it will prevent future bouts of bad stuff, just tell me to stop drinking diet coke and I’ll do it. I’m always looking for the easy answer.
Turns out, there just might be some easy answers. Telomeres are the microscopic endcaps on our dna molecules. A study shows that we can affect the health of our telomeres by our daily habits. This might surprise you, your mom was right. Eating right, sleeping enough, and exercising make for very healthy telomeres.
Telomeres affect how our cells age. They protect our chromosomes like the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces. When we drink too much alcohol, deprive ourselves of sleep and exercise, and generally stress-out, the telomeres become frayed.
But wait, there’s good news. In a study of people who were highly stressed from caring for loved ones with dementia, calming yoga and meditation boosted telomerase activity by 43%. Research has found that exercise benefits kick in after 42 minutes of vigorous exercise over 3 days - only 14 minutes a day. This is on par with the weekly recommendation of 75 minutes vigorous exercise recommended by the CDC.
Want to improve your telomeres’ health? Call a friend, strap on your shoes, and get your heart pounding. The fresh air and camaraderie will boost your cardio benefits. Whether solo or with a group, just walking will boost your mood and your telomeres.
Photos of healthy people by Parker Deen