Life

The GP's View: Get on your bike to boost body and brain – and to literally keep you young at a cellular level

Regular cycling puts the brakes on cell ageing – which, among other conditions, is linked to dementia
Regular cycling puts the brakes on cell ageing – which, among other conditions, is linked to dementia Regular cycling puts the brakes on cell ageing – which, among other conditions, is linked to dementia

IT’S all very well for the British government to make cycling a key part of its strategy to improve the nation’s fitness, as well as reduce air pollution. The difficulty is how to get people to continue to cycle once their early enthusiasm has faded, and the colder, wetter months set in.

I don’t think it’s enough to warn people about obesity and type 2 diabetes – and worse outcomes if those affected then catch Covid-19. People are fed up with those messages.

However, a study published in the journal Aging Cell in 2018 should offer an incentive for all of us to exercise.

The research compared 125 adults aged 55 to 79, who had cycled for much of their lives, with 75 adults who hadn’t exercised regularly. The cyclists’ immune systems avoided the decline that was seen in the sedentary group as they aged.

The take-home message here is that regular cycling – and, in fact, any other exercise – is good not only because it helps you achieve a healthy weight, but also because it protects against the age-related reduction in immunity.

This is because it puts the brakes on immunosenescence, or cell ageing – which, among other conditions, is linked to dementia. And, happily, it’s never too late to start.

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