While the immediate gratification of fitness is awesome, you can’t forget that you may not notice many of the greatest benefits of fitness for years, or even decades. (Patience, patience.)
For example, studies consistently link physical fitness with improved longevity. (12) According to a study published in the October 2013 issue of Lancet Oncology, when your body becomes fitter, it lengthens its chromosomes’ protective caps, called telomeres. (13) Thosetelomeres are in charge of determining how quickly your cells age. That means keeping them in top shape (being fit) can help lengthen your life span.
What’s more, improved fitness drastically reduces the risk of chronic diseases that develop over the course of many years, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. And a rapidly growing body of research suggests being fit may help prevent dementia, too. (14) “The one thing that will help prevent almost any type of disease is fitness,” Wickham says.
And in addition to all those benefits, fitness can help you live better and stronger through the years. One out of every three adults age 60 and older suffers from severe levels of muscle loss, called sarcopenia, according to data published in the November 2014 issue of the journal Age and Ageing. (15) Additional research shows that the condition contributes to fat gain, low mobility and function, falls, and even death in older adults, but that exercise can help prevent this effect of aging. (16)
“The explanation really comes down to evolution. Our bodies and genes have evolved to be active and mobile,” Wickham explains. “When you give your body what it needs, it rewards you by being its best.”