According to BBC NEWS "Elderly joggers were half as likely to die prematurely from conditions like cancer than non-runners.
They also enjoyed a healthier life with fewer disabilities, the Stanford University Medical Center team found.
Experts said the findings in Archives of Internal Medicine reinforced the importance that older people exercise regularly."
Exercise increases our metabolic rate, thus slowing the aging process.
This slowing is caused by a direct link between the amount of exercise we get and our own metabolic rate. The more physical exercise we do, the higher our metabolic rate. As we age our physical activity decreases and this can be attributed to a drop in metabolic rate. Secondly, the amount of calories we consume daily is directly proportional to metabolic rate. The more calories taken in on any given day will result on a higher rate. Older people tend to eat less, resulting in lower rates. Interestingly enough, when young men and old men perform the same amount of physical exercise and consume equal calories the basal metabolic rate remains unaltered.