Study: Exercise Literally Keeps Hearts Young

“Young at heart” apparently translates to “frequently at the gym,” according to a new study by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The Los Angeles Times reports that the research found that elderly people with a history of exercising six to seven times a week throughout adulthood have heart masses greater than sedentary healthy adults aged 25 to 34. The study looked at 121 healthy people with no history of heart disease, and assessed exercise by the number of aerobic exercise sessions per week, rather than intensity or duration. Subjects were broken down into four groups: non-exercisers; casual exercisers (two to three times a week); committed exercisers (four to five times a week) and master athletes (six to seven times a week). Heart mass measurements showed that sedentary subjects had diminished heart mass as they aged, while lifelong exercisers had heart mass expansion with increasing frequency of exercise. Researchers say the data suggest that if people in the 45 to 60 year range exercise four to five times a week, it may prevent some of the major heart conditions of old age.

Read more in the Los Angeles Times.