Age is not a verdict: scientists have explained the role of exercise in healthy aging

Older professional athletes may seem like an exception to the rule, but their example shows an important feature of the human body: aging is not necessarily accompanied by a sharp loss of strength, endurance, and independence. Researchers note that even after the age of 70, the body retains the ability to adapt to physical exertion. Why movement can change how a person ages is in the Izvestia article.

Aging does not necessarily mean a sharp decline in physical fitness

Professional sports provide many examples of people who continue to perform at a high level far beyond the age that athletes are accustomed to. In 2026, 44-year-old New Zealand rugby player Ma'a Nonu played for the South African Sharks team against the All Blacks. LeBron James, 41, spent his 23rd season in the National Basketball Association, and Courtney Dowalter, an ultramarathoner, won the Hardrock 100 at the same age.

There are more extreme examples. Japanese football player Kazuyoshi Miura continues his professional career at the age of 59. Lionel Messi played in the 2026 World Cup final at the age of 39, while Cristiano Ronaldo was 41 at the same tournament.

At the same time, the authors of an article published in the journal Medical Xpress emphasize that such athletes are indeed exceptions. They have outstanding physical characteristics, have been training for years, and have access to doctors, physiotherapists, trainers, and nutrition specialists. Therefore, it is wrong to compare their athletic performance with the capabilities of an ordinary person.

However, professional athletes and other people have something in common — human physiology and the body's ability to adapt to the training load. That is why age athletes are of interest not only for sports: they show how much potential the body can have to preserve its physical capabilities.

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The main problem of aging is not age itself, but inactivity.

According to a study by The Lancet Global Health magazine, in developed countries, the proportion of middle-aged and older people who are physically inactive is approaching 40% in some regions. At the same time, lack of movement is often perceived as a natural consequence of aging: it becomes more difficult for a person to exercise, so he gradually reduces physical activity.

The researchers suggest looking at this relationship differently. According to them, inactivity can not only be a consequence of a decrease in physical abilities, but it can also become one of the causes of deterioration of the body. Lack of activity is associated with metabolic changes, loss of muscle mass, fragility, and decreased quality of life.

Physical activity is also associated with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Heart disease and stroke are among the main causes of death, and their likelihood is influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors, including lack of exercise. The authors also note the association of vascular risk factors with dementia, so physical activity may be important not only for maintaining strength and endurance, but also for maintaining cognitive health.

At the same time, there is no question that regular exercise can completely stop aging. Age-related changes in the body continue, but their severity and functional consequences may vary. This is where the difference between the aging process itself and the lifestyle that accompanies it is especially important.

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The body retains the ability to adapt even after the age of 70

One of the main conclusions of the authors is the body's ability to respond to physical activity even in old age. Research shows that older people are able to significantly improve cardiorespiratory endurance and strength. Moreover, noticeable adaptive changes can persist even after the age of 70.

This means that age changes the starting point, but it does not negate the adaptation mechanism itself. If a person starts exercising later, he may actually have less physical abilities than in his youth. However, a suitable load can still cause changes in the body.

This is especially clearly demonstrated by older athletes. For example, American Kenton Brown, competing in the over-80 category, is the world record holder in the 100 m with a score of less than 15 seconds. British Sarah Roberts in the over-75 age category has set a world record in the mile run, covering the distance in less than seven minutes.

Chunli Li, an athlete from New Zealand, is another example. She won gold in table tennis at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester at the age of 40, after which she retired from playing for almost a decade. Then she returned to the sport and at the age of 52 took part in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Such stories do not mean that everyone is capable of achieving similar results. Their significance lies elsewhere: they show that the physical potential of the body in old age can be significantly higher than is commonly believed.

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You don't need professional training to maintain your health.

Most people over the age of 40 do not need to pursue a professional sports career at all. Scientists of a study published in the journal Extreme Physiology & Medicine have noticed that the main task of physical activity at this age can be much easier — to maintain strength, endurance and the ability to independently perform daily activities.

The authors suggest focusing not only on sports results. Physical fitness can manifest itself in the ability to run a race in a local park, go camping with your family, return to amateur football, play with your grandchildren, or easily carry your purchases home. To do this, it is not necessary to choose the heaviest possible loads. Aerobic exercises, strength training, and just regular movement can be beneficial, and the most effective program is usually not the most extreme, but the one that a person can constantly perform and gradually develop.

This is especially important because prolonged immobility also carries risks. Therefore, the transition from complete inactivity to moderate regular exercise can be much more important for maintaining independence than trying to train at the level of a professional athlete right away. If you have a medical condition, the authors recommend getting appropriate medical advice before starting a new exercise program. What is important is not a record or a comparison with younger people, but a gradual change in one's own capabilities.

It is important to compare yourself not with the young, but with yesterday's self.

Scientists are interested in age-related athletes primarily because they allow them to see not the absence of aging, but the body's ability to adapt despite it. Their results show that physiological changes are inevitable, but they do not necessarily have to lead to a complete loss of strength, endurance and independence.

Therefore, the authors propose to abandon the idea of aging solely as a downward movement along one unchanging trajectory. You can start to engage in physical activity at a later age — the body is still able to respond to a suitable training load.

At the same time, the reference point does not necessarily have to be LeBron James, Ma'a Nonu or Courtney Doualter. It is much more revealing to compare one's own condition today with what a person will be able to do after a gradual and regular workout tomorrow. According to the authors, this perspective makes it possible to perceive physical activity not as a competition with age, but as a way to maintain independence for longer.