Abstract
Healthspan is the period of our life without major debilitating diseases. In the modern world where unhealthy lifestyle choices and chronic diseases taper the healthspan, which lead to an enormous economic burden, finding ways to promote healthspan becomes a pressing goal of the scientific community. Exercise, one of humanity’s most ancient and effective lifestyle interventions, appears to be at the center of the solution since it can both treat and prevent the occurrence of many chronic diseases. Here, we will review the current evidence and opinions about regular exercise promoting healthspan through enhancing the functionality of our organ systems and preventing diseases.
Highlights
Two thousand and two hundred years have passed since the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered a nationwide hunt for the elixir for eternal life
Ainslie et al found that blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCAv) in the endurance exercise trained individuals is ~17% greater than the sedentary counterparts in almost all age groups (18–79), even though both groups still suffer from the aging-induced loss of MCAv [295]
Several molecules with neurogenesisstimulating potentials have been shown to be important in exercise-induced neurogenesis in the hippocampus area, including Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [285,300–302]
Summary
Two thousand and two hundred years have passed since the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered a nationwide hunt for the elixir for eternal life. Because aging remains the most important risk factor for most chronic diseases [4,5], this creates a conundrum that the extended lifespan without improvement of healthspan leads to significant aging of the society and unsustainable economy. Evidence and theories from research in the recent decades have shown that human life expectancy may have reached or come close to a limit set primarily by natural causes (chronic diseases) and genetics [6,7]. The concept of “healthy aging”, that is, to maximally expand the expectancy of healthy living before a person suffers from permanent agingassociated disabilities and chronic diseases, has emerged in the past two decades and gained significant popularity [8–10]. Healthspan can be influenced by numerous factors, namely genetics, environmental factors, social-economic status, lifestyle choices including dietary intake, physical activities, etc
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