Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn says, "Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes ... They are like the tips of shoelaces. If you lose the tips, the ends start fraying."

This fraying affects your ability to produce more stem cells, which are like mother cells that can turn into any other cell in your body and repair damage to cells or organs as you age. That’s not something you want to accelerate by making harmful lifestyle choices.

Fortunately, you can help protect your telomeres and reduce your risk of premature aging and chronic disease. And as a new lab study presented at the American Physiological Society meeting indicates, it’s never too late.

Building on previous research that shows exercising when you are older can lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease, researchers found that even if you’re over 65, the telomere ends of DNA may be elongated by regular aerobic exercise.

We recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activities that make you sweat.

According to a study in the journal Nature Cell Biology, that can reduce chronic inflammation, help protect your telomeres, and lower your risk for age-related diseases such as dementia, metabolic syndrome, and osteoarthritis.