Exercise can slow aging - right down to your DNA

Slowing down aging is no longer just science fiction. A growing collection of research confirms that lifestyle choices can shape how fast we age on the inside. Among these choices, exercise stands out.

Exercise is accessible, low-cost, and can trigger changes deep within our cells. A new study explains how it may help reverse certain aspects of aging.

How exercise slows aging

The study comes from a team led by Takuji Kawamura at Tohoku University. The researchers reviewed evidence linking regular physical activity, planned exercise, and overall fitness to slower “epigenetic aging.”

This type of aging looks at changes in DNA that reveal how well our body’s cells are functioning. Epigenetic clocks measure these changes. They track DNA methylation patterns, which can switch genes on or off.

Unlike the age on your ID card, these clocks reveal the biological wear and tear happening inside your tissues. Lifestyle habits, including how much and how intensely you move, can speed up or slow down this process.

Planned exercise works best

Physical activity means any movement that burns energy – walking to the store, cleaning, climbing stairs.

Exercise is different. It is structured, repetitive, and done with a goal, like improving endurance or strength. The result is fitness – your ability to perform physical tasks, shaped by both your genes and training.

These differences matter. Light movement supports health but may not trigger the deeper cellular changes linked to slowing aging. Structured exercise, especially at moderate to vigorous levels, seems to make the biggest difference.

It can improve mitochondrial function, insulin sensitivity, and even molecular markers tied to aging.

Exercise slows aging

Research on general physical activity shows mixed results. Some studies find weak links to slower aging. Others show that leisure-time activity and less sitting relate to a younger biological profile.

Interestingly, work-related physical activity does not consistently produce anti-aging benefits.

Controlled exercise trials tell a clearer story. In mice, endurance and resistance training slowed age-related DNA changes in muscle tissue. In humans, multi-week training programs reduced biological age markers in blood and muscle.

Turning back the epigenetic clock

One trial found that sedentary middle-aged women cut two years off their epigenetic age after eight weeks of combined aerobic and strength training.

Older men with higher oxygen uptake – a sign of strong cardiovascular fitness – also aged more slowly at the molecular level.

“These findings suggest that maintaining physical fitness delays epigenetic aging in multiple organs and supports the notion that exercise as a geroprotector confers benefits to various organs,” noted the researchers.

Fitness levels matter

People who maintain high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness often experience a slower pace of epigenetic aging compared to those with lower fitness levels. This means their cells and tissues show fewer molecular signs of aging, even if they are the same chronological age as others.

Research has found that Olympic athletes, who train intensively for many years, typically have a lower biological age than non-athletes of the same age.

The difference suggests that long-term, high-level training may have lasting effects on slowing the body’s internal aging process. Interestingly, this trend is not limited to elite athletes or completely healthy individuals.

Even among people living with chronic health conditions, those who achieve and maintain better fitness levels tend to display younger biological profiles when measured through DNA methylation and other aging markers.

This pattern reinforces the idea that improving and maintaining fitness can offer measurable anti-aging benefits across different health backgrounds.

Benefits beyond muscles

Exercise doesn’t just benefit muscles. Studies in animals show slower aging in the heart, liver, and fat tissue in high-fitness groups.

There is also growing evidence that the gut microbiome plays a role in both fitness and aging speed, hinting at a broader network of effects.

The researchers point out several limitations of the research. Studies need consistent methods for measuring activity, fitness, and aging. More diverse groups should be included.

People with higher biological age before starting exercise seem to benefit more – but why remains unclear. New tools, called causal epigenetic clocks, might help confirm if exercise directly changes DNA in ways that affect health.

In the end, the message is simple. Moving regularly, training with purpose, and building fitness does not just keep you strong today – it might also keep your cells younger for years to come.

The study is published in the journal Aging-US.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–