This TIME Magazine article outlines the research by Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, and his studies on curing genetic disease with exercise. Main points include:

  • Rigorous exercise can cure diseases
  • Exercise is the best way to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease
  • 80% of Americans don’t get the recommended amount of daily physical activity
  • Physical activity can increase your lifespan by 5 years
  • Only 15% of elementary schools require physical education classes at least 3 days per week

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TREATS GENETIC DISEASE

In TIME Magazine’s recent article “The New Science of Exercise”, author Mandy Oaklander dives into the research of Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky. He and his team are proving that exercise can work as a “miracle drug” in treating disease. Tarnopolsky and his team studied mice with a genetic disease that cause them to age prematurely. Half of the mice ran three times per week on a miniature treadmill, while the other half stayed inactive. By the end of his 5 month study, the inactive mice were barely hanging on to life, with their muscles shriveled and their hearts weakened. On the other hand, the mice that were exposed to regular exercise were almost indistinguishable from healthy mice.

Dr. Tarnopolsky now routinely applies this therapy to his human patients, and has seen remarkable results.

RUNNING TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK ON AGING

Researchers have found that many positive changes occur throughout the body during and right after a workout. “Going for a run is going to improve your skin health, your eye health, your gonadal health,” Tarnopolsky says. “It’s unbelievable.”  A new study suggests that moderate intensity exercise actually slows down aging on the cellular level by increasing levels of a molecule in your cells that protect chromosomes during cell division.

As the author states, it is well documented that an inactive lifestyle leads to higher risk for different types of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and early death. Even before all of that happens though, inactivity has been linked to depression and anxiety. Physical activity can improve blood flow to the brain, which helps grow brain cells and new blood vessels, which could be why exercise has been hailed as the best way to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by different studies. It also been linked to less depression, better memory, and quicker learning.

“If we could harness the benefits of exercise into a drug, it would be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever created.”

The U.S. National Institutes of Health will launch a $170 million  study aiming to document exactly what happens to the body during exercise with the goal to prove that exercise can be used to make medication more effective. Even with all of the current information on the benefits of exercise readily available physical education programs are still being cut from schools, all while the childhood obesity rate is steadily climbing. Currently, only 20% of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. This could be attributed to poor exercise habits learned in school. Only 15% of elementary schools require PE class at least 3 days per week., and nearly half of high school students don’t have even a weekly physical education class.

In conclusion, we at Gorilla Gym are excited about these benefits that regular exercise can have on the body. With physical education being cut across the country coupled with the ubiquity of video screens,  today’s kids do not have enough physical activity during their normal day.

Get a more in depth look at the amazing research that went into these claims and more here

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