What causes such drastic differences? The answer has nothing to do with a potion or procedure—it’s mostly due to activity. Put simply: People who exercise regularly age better than their sedentary counterparts. Frequent movement contributes to a lower “biological age,” or the measure of age based on how the body functions, as opposed to “chronological age.” This is partly because people who exercise consistently produce greater amounts of Nitric Oxide (NO), which keeps them looking great on the outside, and functioning well inside, too. Of course, a healthy diet, plenty of sleep and rest, and low stress levels are just as important, but we’ll focus on exercise for now.

Consider what goes on inside the body as you move. Movement creates “shear stress” on your blood vessels, which stimulates your endothelium, the organ that produces NO. As blood flows over the endothelial cells, the cells come to life and produce higher amounts of NO. Since blood flow is at its maximum and NO levels are high, oxygen and nutrients are more effectively delivered to your exercising muscles. The best part? You are not just increasing NO production during your workout; regular exercise causes your endothelial cells to continuously produce more NO all day long. NO keeps you healthy and fit on the inside by making your blood vessels smooth and flexible, allowing them to dilate and contract as needed, keeping the vessels free of plaque buildup, and helping blood flow smoothly. That means that going out for a 30-minute run does more than just make your clothes fit better—it also actively helps prevent heart disease.

Along with improving body function, NO also helps you look young. In fact, recent research published in Advances in Gerontology referred to NO as the “‘anti-aging’ molecule.” Part of NO’s role is as a skin protectant; it helps protect the skin against damage from UV radiation, and promotes local blood flow and warmth to the skin. And, perhaps most importantly, it has been shown to reduce the expression of the genes that cause aging. That means that NO literally slows aging. Incredible!

So, don’t buy into the ads for night cream or hair dyes. Instead, lead a healthy, happy lifestyle. You don’t have to be a world-class athlete; you just have to be consistent. If you’re not in a state of vitality now, why not start getting healthy today? Six months to a year from now, you might just look in the mirror and wonder who that young person is looking back at you.