Maybe it is time to lay off those ageing, Lycra-clad cyclists who are apt to exhibit themselves on prominent thoroughfares such as Tamaki Drive. They are not, it seems, fighting vainly against the ravages of time.
According to a new study by King's College, London, they are, in fact, on to something. Its extensive testing of fit amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79 found that many were physically and biologically much younger than most people of the same age.
Perhaps we should not be surprised by this. Although researchers chose cyclists, most other forms of aerobic activity would produce similar results. In essence, this was simply further evidence that ageing itself does not bring about poor function and frailty. That is a consequence of stopping exercise and being no longer active.
Nonetheless, it is no bad thing that the message has been underlined. We live in a time of obesity, not least because young people seem more interested in video games than physical activity. Most people's lives have become largely sedentary, and it can be tempting to assume that inactivity is normal, not that exercising is what your body wants and the key to ageing optimally.