いつもゴロゴロしているなあ、と感じているみなさん。起きて身体を動かしましょう！
なぜかって？ 最新の研究によれば、40代の時にアクティブな生活を送っていると、更に年齢を重ねてから認知能力の低下リスクを減らすことができる。
「適度な運動（ウォーキングより少し活発な程度）をした人は、平均して25年後により高い認知力がありました。以前に行った動物を使った実験でも、身体を動かすと脳の中にある成長因子が増え、シナプスの可塑性（刺激などによって変化すること）が増えるとわかっています」と、研究を行った、フィンランド・ユヴァスキュラ大学のウルホ・クヤラ教授は述べた。
この研究には、長い年月がかけられた。研究者たちは1975年と1981年に、40代の双子3050人に「どれくらい運動しているか」を答えてもらった。そして25年後、電話調査で彼らの認知能力を調べた。
その結果、40代の頃にアクティブな生活を送っていた参加者は、運動をしない参加者に比べて高い記憶力と思考力があることがわかった。認知症の危険因子となる、肥満や糖尿病、高血圧といった要素をのぞいても、この関係は残ることが確認された。
運動は、認知力以外にも良い効果があるとわかっている。2015年5月に学術誌に掲載された研究では、1日に30分間運動をする高齢の男性は、しない男性に比べて平均5年長生きしていた。また、中年の時に身体を鍛えると心不全のリスクが減ることを示した研究もある。
長生きするのに役立つ運動
階段を登り降りする(01 of06)
Open Image ModalIn 2008, a small Swiss study found that sedentary people who switched from taking escalators and elevators to taking the stairs cut their risk of dying prematurely by 15 percent. \n\n\"This suggests that stair climbing can have major public health implications,\" lead researcher Dr. Philippe Meyer, told the BBC.\n\nAn earlier look at data from the Harvard Alumni Health Study also found that climbing 35 or more flights of stairs a week significantly increased longevity when compared to people who climbed fewer than 10 stories a week.\n\nFlickr photo by mariachily (credit:Flickr: mariachily)
自転車…より早く！(02 of06)
Open Image ModalBiking to work is a great way to squeeze exercise into your day, spend some time outside and even save on gas money. But a leisurely ride, while it might leave you less sweaty upon arrival at the office, won\'t do as much for your lifespan as if you really ride it out. \n\nA study of Copenhagen cyclists found that men who pedaled the fastest lived more than five years longer than slower cycling men, and the fastest women cyclists lived almost four years longer.\n\nFlickr photo by terren in Virginia (credit:Flickr: terren in Virginia)
泳ぐ(03 of06)
Open Image ModalA 2009 analysis of data from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study found that men who swam regularly had about a 50 percent smaller risk of dying than sedentary men -- but swimmers also had a lower mortality rate than men who walked and ran for their exercise.\n\nFlickr photo by West Point Public Affairs (credit:Flickr: West Point Public Affairs)
歩くペースを早める(04 of06)
Open Image ModalA 2011 study found that people who naturally walk at a pace of one meter per second, about 2.25 mph, or faster, lived longer than their slower peers.\n\nBut walking pace might be more of an indicator of longevity rather than a way to increase it, the study\'s author cautioned. \"Your body chooses the walking speed that is best for you, and that is your speed, your health indicator,\" lead researcher Dr. Stephanie Studenski told MyHealthNewsDaily. \"Going out and walking faster does not necessarily mean you will suddenly live longer,\" she said.\n\nFlickr photo by Justin Scott Campbell (credit:Flickr: Gamma-Ray Productions)
1日15分ワークアウトする(05 of06)
Open Image ModalSome think to get the full benefit of a good workout, you need to be sweating for a full 30 minutes -- or longer. But with so many people struggling to find a spare 30 minutes, researchers have begun to investigate if a shorter sweat session could be just as good. \n\nA 2011 study found when compared to sedentary people, 15 minutes of daily activity, like brisk walking, added three years to life expectancy, according to Reuters.\n\nFlickr photo by lululemon athletica (credit:Flickr: lululemon athletica)
運動のレベルを一段階上げる(06 of06)
Open Image ModalWalking faster, cycling harder -- there\'s an underlying theme to many of the benefits of exercise: intensity. Overall, vigorous activities seem to have more life-lengthening powers than nonvigorous activities, according to a 1995 study.\n\nIn fact, intense exercise may double the years added by moderate exercise, according to a 2005 study. Five days a week of walking for 30 minutes led to 1.3 to 1.5 additional years, The Washington Post reported, but intense exercise, like running half an hour five days a week, resulted in 3.5 to 3.7 extra years.\n\nFlickr photo by frankjuarez (credit:Flickr: frankjuarez)