Exercise devotes like Madonna - who bought the house next door to her London home to set up her own personal gym - certainly seem to prove that keeping fit helps keep the years at bay. Now there is scientific evidence that backs up the idea that being fit is one of the best anti-ageing strategies.

A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine researchers at King's College, London, and at a leading US Institute in Baltimore studied the ageing of 2400 sets of twins and found there was a difference of around nine years of ageing between those who exercised and those who didn't.

Researchers measured the length of telomeres, which cap the chromosomes in cells and protect them from damage.

As these telomeres shorten with age and more damage occurs, the study found that people who kept active had longer telomeres than those who didn't do as much exercise.

Sheffield's physical activity campaign, The People's Movement, which aims to make people aware that physical activity can be fun and it shouldn't be a gruelling task, see the study as an encouraging sign.

The good news is that you don't have to go to extremes to get the benefits.

New research says that just three hours of exercise per week can slow the ageing process down and give you a body 10 years younger than someone that rarely exercises. Councillor Mike Pye, Cabinet Advisor for Culture at Sheffield City Council, said: "This new research is an added incentive for people to want to increase their physical activity levels.

"Obviously there are many benefits of physical activity, but this benefit is a real motivator to people in Sheffield, and The People's Movement are here to help them feel and look healthier."

But it seems that many of us need to take heed of the advice as it's believed that only 35 percent of people in Sheffield are active enough to avoid health risks.

Half the city's population is overweight and one in six adults are obese.

And up to 1,000 people are dying early as a result of being inactive which costs the Sheffield NHS around £25m per year The Government recommends that adults do 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days a week.

Children should do one hour of moderate intensity on most days of the week which can be broken down into bitesize chunks of 10 minutes.

Any activity that leaves you slightly out of breath will boost fitness levels.

Every day exercise such as taking the dog for a brisk walk twice a day and spending 10 minutes vacuuming the house could boost your health without them even realising it.

www.thepeoplesmovement.co.uk">For more fitness tips visit www.thepeoplesmovement.co.uk for more fitness tips.

READ MORE
SPECIAL REPORT: Mystery over 28,000 tonnes of golf club rubble.
BUSINESS: Computer games giant turns to Sheffield firm.
THE DIARY: Is this the end for vinyl records?
LIFESTYLE: Coping with cancer.
HEALTH: Why sweating keeps you young.
LETTERS: Buses special.
LIFESTYLE: Bishop of Sheffield's Red Devil secret.
Back to main news index.
Latest sport.