3 Pretty Fantastic Ways Running Makes You Younger (2024)

Former overweight smoker Margaret Webb started running in her 40s, and at 52, she's stronger and leaner than she was in her 20s—with more energy. "The years just dropped off," says Webb, who explores how running can reverse the clock in her new book, Older, Faster, Stronger.

Start running today and you could:

Get your glow back. Running increases the production of human growth hormone—your body's natural youth serum. "This helps you produce new cells, which can make your skin look a lot more youthful," says Webb. (Just pick the right shoes! Here are 7 essentials of a perfect running shoe.)

Strengthen bones. The pounding of running sparks bone to regenerate, which is why older runners generally have higher bone density than nonrunners of the same age. Some real-world proof: Webb now has better bone density than most 30-year-olds. (Check out 12 more ways to get break-proof bones for life.)

Outsmart disease.Running protects your telomeres (the shoelace-cap-like DNA-sequence coatings on the ends of your chromosomes), which start to wear down as you age. The result: you're less susceptible to sickness and inflammation.

MORE: Become A Runner In 5 Weeks With Our (Free!) Plan