Shape_USA-January-February_2017

Gwen Shockey/Science Photo Library

120 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 SHAPE.COM

special report

Have sex

often

Sleep better

Clear

the air

Move

hourly

De-stress

For every additional hour people sit in front of

a screen per day, they have a 7 percent increase

in their odds of having short telomeres,

research from the University of Mississippi

showed. The solution: Spend more time on your

feet throughout the day, the British Journal of

Sports Medicinereports. Take your phone calls

standing up, go for short walks every hour, or

get up and do a few stretches or yoga moves.

People who had sex at least once in the previous week tended to have
longer telomeres, according to a study Blackburn’s coauthor, Elissa Epel,
Ph.D., helped conduct.Epel and her team aren’t sure why, but other
research has shown that couples who have sex weekly are happier overall.
Close friendships are also beneficial. Besides reducing stress, being
with friends and loved ones causes your cells to produce fewer C-reactive
proteins, proinflammatory substances that have been linked to shorter
telomeres and conditions like heart disease and depression.

Omega-3 fatty acids
and fiber help fight
chronic inflamma-
tion,which makes
your cells divide
faster, prematurely
wearing down your
telomeres. Your body
converts omega-3s
into hormones that
moderate inflamma-
tion, Epel says. And
fiber prevents the
insulin spikes that fuel
inflammation. She
suggests getting at
least 1, 000 milligrams
of omega-3 fatty
acids a day from fish
like salmon or an
algae-based supple-
ment and 2 5 grams of
fiber a day from foods
such as legumes,
produce, and grains.
In addition, eat vita-
min C–rich citrus fruits,
berries, and bell pep-
pers daily, Epel says.
Vitamin C protects
cells from oxidative
damage, which can
shorten telomeres.

Certain indoor pollutants like ben-

zene and polychlorinated biphenyls

(PCBs) can stretch your telomeres in

unhealthy ways, which can increase

your risk of cancer, research shows.

Get an air purifier to help filter out

these chemicals, or bring more plants

into your home or office. There’s evi-

dence that certain types, like Boston

ferns, peace lilies, English ivy, and

philodendrons, can help clean the air.

“Two plants for every hundred square

feet is supposedly enough for keep-

ing your air filtered,” Epel says.

“Exercise increases levels of telomerase, mak-

ing telomeres longer and healthier,”says

Eli Puterman, Ph.D., an assistant professor

at the University of British Columbia School

of Kinesiology. But be sure to switch up your

routine—so if you’re a runner, do some cycling —

and add in some strength training and walking

or yoga, too. People who participated in two,

three, or four types of activities a month were,

respectively, 2 4, 2 9, and 5 2 percent less likely to

have short telomeres compared with those who

did none, according to a University of Mississippi

study. Different forms of exercise may affect

telomeres in different ways; a range will have

the biggest impact on telomere length.

If you’re getting less than seven hours a night,
tossing and turning, or going to bed and get-
ting up at different times every day, you’re
more likely to suffer from inflammation and
oxidative stress, which can shorten your telo-
meres, Epel says. To get better sleep, build
transition time into your routine. Most of us
tend to do work or watch stimulating TV shows
right up until we turn in. “The mind needs a slow
descent into slumber,” Epel says. Put your
phone on airplane mode and read or listen to
a relaxing podcast for a few minutes, and you’ll
fall into a sounder sleep faster.

Eat these

Do more cardio

SAFETY CAPS

Telomeres act like

shoelace ends,

curbing wear and

tear on your

chromosomes.