Long-term research Active people age much more slowly

Physicians are studying the effects of exercise on health

Exercise and exercise are healthy for the mind and body. The positive effects even seem to occur when people age. A long-term study by the Karlsruhe Institute of Sport and Sports Science has found that athletic people are less likely to get sick and age more slowly.

The scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Sport and Sports Science at the renowned Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) found in their long-term study on health and exercise that athletic people age more slowly and less frequently than unsportsmanlike people.

Sufficient exercise and exercise are important to the human body. The effects even go so far that athletic people are motor-ten years younger compared to unsportsmanlike people. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com)

Positive effects of sports on the human body and mind

Sport has many positive effects on humans. For example, it improves the condition, strength, subjective well-being and general quality of life of those affected. Sport seems to be capable of much more. Regular exercise and physical activity can make people age more slowly.

Active people are 10 years younger by motor

The long-term study of the Health to Participate project has now shown that people who are sufficiently active in sports thus remain younger from a motor standpoint. To put it more precisely, athletic people are 10 years younger in motor terms, compared to hardly any moving people, say the researchers of the Karlsruhe Institute of Sport and Sports Science. The result is that an active person aged 50 or over is as fit as an inactive person who is only 40 years old, explains study coordinator Professor Klaus Bös.

Researchers are examining nearly 500 subjects

Sport is healthy as long as the activities carried out are not excessively exaggerated. However, the current study was the first to analyze the long-term effects of sport on the human body. For about 25 years, about 500 inhabitants of the city of Bad Schönborn have been observed, analyzing the exact effects of regular sports on their health.

Strength, agility, endurance and fine motor skills of the participants recorded

The scientists of the Karlsruhe Institute of Sport and Sports Science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have so far examined five different parameters for positive effects in the previous course of studies. The parameters tested included strength, flexibility, endurance and fine motor skills. The subjects were between 35 and 80 years old in the investigations. In addition, the physicians regularly measured the blood and body fat levels of the participants. In addition, the mental wellbeing was also taken into account and evaluated by the experts.

Sporty people are less likely to get sick

It is only logical that in old age people are increasingly developing health restrictions, say the experts. However, the results of the study show that athletic people are less affected by such negative cardiovascular, orthopedic and neurological limitations. But there are other negative effects that affect unsportsmanlike people more often. For example, non-athletes would suffer four times as often as athletes from type 2 diabetes.

Two and a half hours of sports a week improve the health significantly

Two to two and a half hours of sports per week are enough to improve the health of those affected and prevent any negative effects. It was also worrying that less than half of all participating subjects performed these two-and-a-half hours of weekly exercise or exercise. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises people to exercise adequately.

Sport strengthens the body and mind

The researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Sports and Sport Science also explained that the effects of physical activity generally strengthen the body and also have a positive effect on the athletes' feelings. Such people are better able to cope with stress and have an improved overall quality of life.

Sport can lead to new contacts in social networks

Sport has other advantages. Sport can bring people into contact with other people interested in sports and promote involvement in social networks. Thus, the well-being of the person affected is further increased, explain the doctors.

Although sport is important, a healthy diet should not be underestimated

The researchers of the Karlsruhe Institute of Sport and Sports Science supervised the participants medically to determine the activity, fitness and health of people in middle and later adulthood and to detect changes. For example, the doctors wanted to find out why some people get sick, even though other people with the same living conditions are in good health. In addition, the experts were particularly interested in the effects of sports activities on the health of the participants. The study did not look at the effects of diet because that would have blown up the scope, say the experts. Nevertheless, the influence of a healthy diet and a normal body weight should not be underestimated.

People have the right to exercise enough

If people want to be more active and plan to do more sport, cities should at least partially adapt their infrastructure, experts suggest. Everyone has a right to sufficient exercise. Cities and towns must therefore provide enough space for this, such as parks and green spaces. (As)