Any Exercise Is Beneficial to Sedentary Older Men
All types of physical activity of light intensity upwards offer health benefits for older men with high levels of inactivity and sedentary behavior, a new study showed.
From 2010 to 2012, the researchers assessed 1655 of 3137 men who were previously recruited from various practices throughout the UK from 1978 to 1980 and were later invited to a follow-up. Patient ages ranged from 71 to 92 years, and median follow-up lasted 5.0 years.
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Height and weight were measured, and all participants completed health and demographic questionnaires and wore an ActiGraph GT3x accelerometer. In addition, National Health Service central registers were used to collect all-cause mortality up to June 1, 2016.
Over the course of the study, 194 of 1181 men without pre-existing cardiovascular disease died. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated as 1.17, 0.83, and 0.90 for each additional 30 minutes of sedentary behavior or light physical activity, or 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, respectively. Estimates remained similar following adjustment, and only light physical activity remained significant following mutual adjustment for all intensities.
Approximately 66% of men were able to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week in sporadic minutes (HR 0.59), while 16% of men were able to accumulate 150 minutes per week in bouts lasting at least 10 minutes (HR 0.58). Notably, the researchers found that sedentary breaks were not associated with mortality.
“In older men, all activities (of light intensity upwards) were beneficial and accumulation of activity in bouts [at least 10 minutes] did not appear important beyond total volume of activity,” the researchers concluded. “Findings can inform physical activity guidelines for older adults.”
—Christina Vogt
Reference:
Jefferis BJ, Parsons TJ, Sartini C, et al. Objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and all-cause mortality in older men: does volume of activity matter more than pattern of accumulation? [Published online February 12, 2018]. Br J Sports Med. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-098733.