The good news is that even if you have shortened telomeres, maintaining healthy telomeres can protect you from further shortening. How do you keep your telomeres healthy? One important way is by boosting levels of telomerase, which is an enzyme that can actually lengthen the telomere. Once again, the science is new, but it suggests that even if you start out with shorter-than-normal telomeres, you can still slow decline by increasing your telomerase with things like meditation and exercise.
