Seriously, we now have to worry that exercise is "ageing" us?

Exercise, causing us to age? Like, WHATEVER. (Photo via ‘Clueless’.)

I saw a headline on a fitness website recently that made my blood boil. It said something like this: “Exercise could be ageing you”.

Yes, they were referring to the same “exercise” that helps to maintain our overall health. Surely I’m not the only one who thinks this theory is ridiculous?

Headlines like that reduce exercise to a vanity project. Surely there’s no truth to that statement?

According to Kathleen Alleaume, exercise physiologist and nutritionist, a truly healthy approach to exercise is all about moderation and balance.

“Exercise is a prescription I would always recommend. We should not be fearful of exercising,” Kathleen encourages.

If you want to get really technical about it, exercise could cause “ageing” if it’s done in excess. Just as drinking alcohol in excess, eating in excess, and taking drugs in excess can wreak havoc on our overall health and appearance. It’s obvious, right?

So what does "excessive exercise" look like?

“The guidelines for adults is around roughly 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week. And when we define 'moderate', we’re meaning you can have a conversation [while exercising], no problem. So, you can go for a walk,” suggests Kathleen.

Going overboard on the fitness front "to the point that it’s completely tiring you out” and causing strain to the body is not healthy. An example is “someone who is pounding the pavement at a heart rate closer to their maximum heart rate consumption for two hours or greater a day”.

Again, this type of extreme exercise is risky to your overall health - ageing really shouldn't be the concern here. (Post continues after gallery.)

“Anything in excess isn't going to be great for you. Eating to excess isn't great for you, exercising to excess isn't great for you,” explains Kathleen.

“When you’re exercising to the point where you’re straining your body, a lot of oxygen in your system can cause inflammation. So technically that can cause 'ageing', whether that’s in the form of wrinkles or inflammation,” explains Kathleen.

To flat out say that "exercise will cause you wrinkles" is like saying "getting older can give you wrinkles" or "living can cause you to look older". It's ridiculous, and it just creates another barrier for someone like me to exercise.

So go on sweating it out with the knowledge it's not ruining your beautiful complexion.

What's your favourite type of exercise?