DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is a double helix molecule that carries genetic information throughout our bodies. They are also passed down to our offspring, which would shape their fundamental characteristics and qualities. Epigenetics, which was first identified by Conrad H. Waddington in 1942, is the field of study that focuses on changes in inherited phenotypes that occur without changes in the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetics is based on the ways in which DNA or genetic information is expressed changes that may result from external factors such as the environment and lifestyle choices.

One of the epigenetic changes that many have focused on is DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a process in which the methyl groups (-CH3) are added to the DNA. In a broader sense, the areas of DNA where the methyl groups are added are typically silenced or no longer expressed.

In the work by Denham et al. 2015, they emphasize transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, or the passing down of epigenetic traits from the parent to the offspring. They recruited a total of 24 men, who were assigned to the exercise group or control group. Sperm samples were analyzed before and after the intervention. Interestingly, they found that three months of exercise training altered the epigenetics in sperm DNA, inducing DNA methylation in "genes related to numerous diseases such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease." With no current cure for these diseases, lifestyle changes that can prevent the pathogenesis are very significant.

This suggests implications for exercise and its relationship to chronic diseases. While this paper did not show any direct causation between exercise and the health of their offspring, the results are nevertheless motivating. Of course, no conclusions can be made from this one study, with a small sample of participants. However, this invites further investigation and conversations on exercise as not only a way to promote your own health but perhaps of your own children too.