11 Feb 2024

Dr Laura Joenssu: Vigorous exercise is accelerating aging

From Sunday Morning, 10:40 am on 11 February 2024

The orthodoxy of exercise science is being challenged. A study out of Finland claims that vigorous exercise doesn't necessarily help you live longer, and too much - as well as too little - may even accelerate the ageing process. 

The study examined the lives of 11,000 pairs of same-sex twins over a 45-year period. Comparing the different exercise levels of twins showed that whilst exercise can help prevent diseases like type 2 diabetes there was no convincing evidence it lengthened lifespans. In fact, the most active had a biological age1.8 years older than those who were only moderately active.  

The studies' author, Dr Laura Joenssu of the University of Jyväskylä joins Jim to explain more. 

Man leaping over a gap in a walkway

Photo: Jordan Opel / Unsplash