Get off the couch

Leading a sedentary lifestyle may make us genetically old before our time.

Sedentary life 'speeds up ageing'.

They particularly focused on telomeres, the repeat sequences of DNA that sit on the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage.

As people age, their telomeres become shorter, leaving cells more susceptible to damage and death.
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But men and women who were less physically active in their leisure time had shorter leukocyte telomeres compared to those who were more active.
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The most active people had telomeres of a length comparable to those found in inactive people who were up to 10 years' younger, on average.