Wrinkles are believed to be caused by the effects of sun, smoking, and aging. The Nurse's Health Study is following the lives and health of 121,701 registered nurses enrolled in 1976.
Women who had been sedentery and took up walking for 30-60 minutes a day also saw a dramatic reduction in wrinkles. "My pinochle group thought I had gone for botox injections - but all I did was walk," said Mary Jo, age 59.
The mechanism for how walking prevents wrinkles awaits further research. Speculation is that walkers are less likely to smoke, and more likely to wear sunscreen. Walkers also relieve a lot of stress by clearing their minds and bonding with friends and family while walking.
This does not explain the reduction in wrinkles seen in the formerly-sedentary, which may be due to increased blood flow to the face, producing rosy cheeks and removing wrinkles.
Rather than injecting toxins into furrowed browns, cosmeticians may begin to prescribe daily walks.
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*JNRR: Journal of Non-Reproducible Results
