Reverse Aging By Doing This To Prevent Stiff Arteries

7 years ago | Physical exercise

By Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, Founder

As you age, stiffening of the joints is not the only thing you have to worry about. You also have to be concerned about stiffening of the arteries.

Reportedly, as you age, “arteries—which transport blood in and out of the heart—are prone to stiffening, which increases the risk of heart disease.”

You certainly cannot avoid aging. And growing old is one of life’s greatest privileges. But there are things you can do to help combat the effects of aging.

And I’m not talking about anti-wrinkle creams…

Getting adequate exercise may be one of the best things you can do to prevent stiff arteries and improve the health of your heart.

New research shows “...different sizes of arteries are affected differently by varying amounts of exercise.” For example, just 30 minutes of exercise 2-3 days a week may be enough to reduce stiffening of middle sized arteries. And exercising 4-5 days a week may be required to help keep the larger central arteries young and healthy.

Researchers examined 102 people over the age of 60. The participants had consistently logged lifelong exercise history. Arterial stiffness of the participants was measured, and they were placed in the following categories depending on their exercise history:

Sedentary: less than 2 exercise sessions per week
Casual Exercisers: 2-3 exercise sessions per week
Committed Exercisers: 4-5 exercise sessions per week
Masters Athletes: 6-7 exercise sessions per week

Each exercise session was at least 30 minutes.

“Upon analysing the results, the research team found that a lifelong history of casual exercise (2-3 times a week) resulted in more youthful middle sized arteries, which supply oxygenated blood to the head and neck. However, people who exercised 4-5 times per week also had more youthful large central arteries, which provide blood to the chest and abdomen, in addition to healthier middle sized ones,” according to the report.

“The fact the larger arteries appear to require more frequent exercise to remain youthful will aid the development of long-term exercise programmes. They also enable the research team to now focus on whether or not ageing of the heart can be reversed by exercise training over a long period of time.”

I think one of the biggest takeaways from this research is that you do not have to be a master athlete to reap some of the benefits. You just have to get moving! Do exercises you enjoy, like bike riding, hiking, swimming, golfing or running.

And while eating a heart friendly diet, which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, is imperative for reducing arterial stiffness, you also have to be mindful that getting good exercise is not possible without ensuring that your body is able to absorb the nutrients from all the good food you eat.

You need to absorb the correct amounts of essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, in order to perform well at physical activities as well as recover from them.

Do you know the difference between a micronutrient and a macronutrient? If you do not know the answer, read here to find out and learn more about how to properly fuel your body for exercising. These are things you must know if you want to have a young heart despite your age.

Finally, it is highly advised you get a nutrient test. This test is recommended, because nutritional deficiencies and imbalances are relatively common as we age. If you discover you have nutritional deficiencies or imbalances, you can work with a competent healthcare professional to tweak your diet and/or take good quality supplements.

Enjoy your healthy life!

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.