I recently saw a special on an amazing female Olympic swimmer who’s competing with women half her age.

Dara Torres, 41, has been in five Olympic games. Oh, and did I mention that she also has a two year old daughter? While other women her age are whining about pregnancy pounds and being ‘over the hill’, Dara looks like the 20 year olds she competes with.

What makes her different from other 41 year old moms?

“I love to exercise,” Dara says. “I love how it makes me feel. I love how it makes me look.”

Here’s the fountain of youth part:

Because of exercise, Dara’s body is actually younger on a molecular level than her out-of-shape counterparts, according to a recent study led by Tim D. Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College in London as reported by the Washington Post.

The results were astounding. They found that exercise appears to slow the shriveling of the protective tips on bundles of genes inside cells (called telomeres), which means a slowing of the aging process.

“These data suggest that the act of exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process,” said Spector.

Here’s the study in a nutshell:

• Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter.

• Once a telomere gets too short, that cell can no longer divide.

• Aging occurs as more and more cells reach the end of their telomeres and die. This results in weakened muscles, skin wrinkles, loss of eyesight and hearing, organ failure and slowed metal functioning.

• The study analyzed the telomeres from the white bloods cells of twins over a 10-year period. Telomere length was used as a marker for the rate of biological aging.

• It was found that the length of telomeres was directly related to that twin’s activity level. “There was a gradient,” Spector said. “As the amount of exercise increased, the telomere length increased.”

What does this mean to you?

The fountain of youth is literally at your fingertips!

Add to that the previously proven benefits of exercise (such as a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases) and it’s no wonder that exercise lovers look and feel as great as they do.

Do you want to start an exercise program or get back on one?

Whether it’s been months, years or even a lifetime since your last workout, remember that it’s never too late to start looking and feeling your best.

Email me to set up your first workout.

And while you may not share Dara’s passion for swimming, you can share her secret for staying young and looking your best.

Recipe of the Week

Perfect Honey-Glazed Salmon

Talk about an easy way to prepare a delicious salmon dinner; this main dish only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. Salmon is a wonderful source of omega 3 fatty acids.
Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

• 1 (8oz) sockeye salmon fillet, cut into 2 pieces
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon ketchup

1. Heat oven to 450. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray foil with non-stick spray. Place salmon on sheet.
2. In small bowl, combine honey and ketchup; blend well. Spread mixture over salmon.
3. Bake at 450 for 12 to 18 minutes or until thickest part of the fish flakes easily with fork.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 220 calories, 11g fat, 4g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, and 26g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

Want a Smaller Stomach?

Are you doing dozens of sit ups in the hopes of reducing the size of your stomach? You cannot greatly reduce the size of your midsection by stomach exercises alone. While exercises are great for firming your abdominals, a fat burning workout is the most effective way to lose weight and take off inches.

 Email This Post This entry was posted on Monday, February 16th, 2009 at 11:53 am and is filed under Read, Steve McKinney. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.