(January 28, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Being physically active during leisure time can help ward off the biological effects of aging, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Here are some facts about the health benefits of physical activity:

•    In combination with maintaining a healthy diet, regular physical activity can help you lose weight, which in turn can help prevent and treat type 2 diabetes.

•    Higher levels of physical activity have been linked with lower levels of heart disease and stroke. Similarly, a low level of physical activity is a known risk factor for heart disease.

•    Engaging in moderate to intense physical activity for at least 45 minutes five or more days a week can lower your risk of breast and colon cancer. It may also reduce your risk of kidney, endometrial, and esophageal cancer.

Researchers from King’s College London administered questionnaires to over 2,400 Caucasian twins about their smoking habits, physical activity levels, and socioeconomic status. The investigators also took samples of the twins' blood to obtain white blood cells. They measured the length of sections of DNA in the white blood cells known as telomeres, which naturally shorten with age.

Older participants had shorter telomeres than the younger ones, and those who were more physically active during their leisure time had longer telomeres than those who were less physically active. This remained true even after taking into account the participants' body mass index, smoking habits, socioeconomic status, and physical activity during working hours. Based on telomere length, the most active participants, who averaged nearly 200 minutes of physical activity per week, were biologically about ten years younger than the least active participants, who averaged under 16 minutes of physical activity per week.

Today's research highlights the importance of staying active during your downtime in order to stay healthy, even if your job is physically challenging. Regular physical activity during off hours may be a great anti-aging tool.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Essie Heinrich.