Check your shoelaces, they may be the key to staying young.

Do you want to live longer? Make sure your shoelaces are in good shape. Sounds a bit strange, but in the world of health and fitness, there are a lot of strange things in your body that can keep you alive longer. Why would your shoelaces be one of them?

Think of it this way. If those little plastic tips at the end of your shoelaces become damaged or wear out, then your shoelaces become unraveled and can begin to deteriorate and come apart. Well, the same thing happens in your body.

There are these little caps on the end of your chromosomes, called telomeres, that are sort of like the caps on the end of your shoelaces (Telos “end” and meres “cap”). These telomeres are your body’s built in clock. Every time your cells divide, your telomeres get shorter at both ends of the chromosome chain. When the telomeres get too short, your cells can no longer divide, causing aging in the cells and tissues that degenerate and die.

Scientists tell us that no matter the length of our telomeres at birth, everyone’s get shorter as they age. In fact, telomere length is considered a biomarker of the diseases of aging. It’s simply a part of the aging process.

So I guess we can check out our telomeres and figure out how many years we have left.

But wait there’s more. What if there were a way to lengthen those aging telomeres and reverse the process of aging, or at least slow it down so we will live longer?

In 2013, a major University study demonstrated that we could indeed lengthen those telomeres so that we could live a bit longer. Subsequent studies have borne out those findings.

It seems there is an enzyme called telomerase that also is in the body and also declines with normal aging. BUT, telomerase can be increased naturally in the body when we make specific lifestyle changes. And when the telomerase is increased, your telomeres get longer, contributing to a potentially longer life.

And guess what those specific lifestyle changes are. Here’s the list:

• Stop smoking
  Lose weight
  Exercise more
  Eat more healthfully
  Reduce psychological stress through things like yoga and meditation, and a major reduction in negative thinking.

Gosh, imagine that. Just what we’ve been saying all along.

The science is young, but promising. More recent studies are confirming the original findings. There are a few dietary supplements on the market right now, and perhaps scientists will come up with a real answer to aging through telomere control at some point. But for right now, the factors I listed above seem to be the best answer to slowing or even temporarily reversing your aging process.

Give those lifestyle factors a shot today, you may be younger tomorrow. Thank you for reading.