NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — With spring right around the corner many people are excited to get out and get active again. The benefits of exercise have been touted for years and new research now reveals the activity could rejuvenate aged muscle at the genetic level.

“Understanding how exercise can help to regulate some of these genes that maintain muscle or repair muscle so it’s really really exciting” said Yale Medicine Orthopaedic Surgeon Elizabeth Gardner.

Dr. Gardner said the new discovery may lead to medical breakthroughs. She also weighed in on a study on when the best workout time to burn more fat could be.

“The cells, the fat cells in the mice that had their workouts in the morning had an upregulation, had more activity in some of the genes that look at breaking down that fat,” Dr. Gardner said.

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Dr. Gardner points out that it is not yet a theory proven in humans, but she points to growing evidence that how beneficial exercise is. She is also warning people to use caution when getting active this spring.

“I think the most important thing to keep in mind is to not try to make up for that winter hibernating in the first week or two,” Dr. Gardner said.

Instead, she says to slowly increase the volume of exercise over time.

And Dr. Gardner just wrote an article about the importance of stretching before you do get active.

“We now realize the importance of stretching is to warm up the muscle groups that you’re going to be using during that workout,” she said.

Her article also emphasizes the importance of stretching after exercise too because it can relax muscles and help prevent pain and stiffness later.