If You Want to Age Well, Take Up This Habit

Seventeen years ago, cardiologist Eric Topol set out to learn why some people remain healthy well into old age while others do not—and discovered that the single most powerful key to aging well may be surprisingly simple and within everyone's reach. He and his colleagues sequenced the genomes of about 1,400 people in their 80s and older who had no major chronic diseases, people they dubbed the "Wellderly," reports the New York Times. The results were unexpected: They found no clear genetic explanation behind their healthy aging.

Topol's subsequent exploration of what could account for the way in which they aged is the subject of his new book, Super Agers: An Evidence-based Approach to Longevity. The key takeaway from his review of hundreds of studies? Exercise stands out as the single most important factor influencing how we age, particularly strength and resistance training. While diet and social connections matter, Topol tells the Washington Post that exercise is "the only intervention in people that has shown any effect on slowing the body-wide aging clock, meaning it appears to change how rapidly we age."

Topol now supplements the aerobic exercise he has done for decades with dumbbells, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises at home, and credits strength training for improvements in his balance, posture, and overall fitness. He stresses that it's never too late to start strength training. "This idea that you can't build muscle or strength as you age is silly." He should know; Topol didn't start until his late 60s. The goal isn't about lifespan but healthspan, he clarifies, "our years of life that are without the major age-related diseases. ... What we can see from studies is that you can get seven to 10 years of extra healthy aging from lifestyle factors, especially exercise." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)