Secrets Of Living A Long Life Katharine Weber - 1649 Words

Josh FitzPatrick Mrs. Vicknair English III AP 13 April 2017 Secrets to Living a Long Life Katharine Weber is an avid gardener, constantly travels, entertains weekly, does her own taxes, and she’s also 103 years old. Katharine is not your stereotypical elderly person. She is a happy individual who can take care of herself. She still bakes cookies and does chores around the house. While most of us will probably never reach 100, we can still live our last few years with as much spirit as Katharine does (Glassman). In order to increase their lifespan, people must make healthy lifestyle choices, have a healthy social life, and must have knowledge of their body. It has been said our entire lives that a healthy diet is important for our body.†¦show more content†¦Not only can exercise slow aging, it may be possible that it can help reverse aging. In 2008, a team of Canadian and American researchers ran tests to see the effects of exercise on aging. They had elderly volunteers undergo strength training for six months and took biopsies from their thigh muscles. Af ter the six months, the genes from the muscle cells resembled those from twenty-two year old males and females. After closer inspection, it became clear that the genes involved with the mitochondria were the ones affected. Mitochondria are basically the powerhouses/generators of a cell. It is widely believed that when Mitochondria start to falter cells die, muscles shrink, gray hair appears, and brain volume drops. In other words, we experience aging (Agus 228). Exercise is a major factor in prolonging one’s life. Although exercise is good for our bodies, not knowing how to exercise won’t do much good. Ideally, the best exercise routines involve cardio, strength training, and stretching. Each activity has its own unique benefits. Cardio can strengthen the heart and lungs while also trimming off extra body fat. Strength training keeps bones strong and prevents loss of muscle mass. Lastly, stretching can help with joint pain and the condition of chronic inflammation. Lea rning to balance all three different types of exercises is ideal. It doesn’t take much to get the positive