A new study has some good news for older adults who find it hard to meet weekly exercise goals: even small amounts of movement can make a big difference for your health.
The research, published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, shows that all forms of physical activity are important—whether you meet the recommended exercise levels or not.
The study was led by Andreas Nilsson and Fawzi Kadi, researchers at Örebro University in Sweden.
They examined 871 adults between the ages of 65 and 79 living in Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
The goal was to understand how different activity levels affected the risk of developing metabolic syndrome—a group of conditions like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance.
These issues can lead to serious diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
The researchers grouped participants into two categories: those who exercised regularly for at least two and a half hours each week at a level that raised their heart rate, and those who didn’t meet that standard.
Instead of relying on self-reported exercise habits, which can be unreliable, the team used activity trackers to monitor how much time people spent moving and sitting during the day.
Participants also recorded their eating habits for a week, and researchers measured their waist size and took blood samples to check for warning signs of disease.
The most striking finding was that people who sat for less than 8.3 hours a day had a much lower risk of metabolic syndrome—regardless of how much they exercised or how well they followed dietary guidelines.
In other words, even if someone wasn’t meeting the official recommendations for physical activity, simply moving more and sitting less helped protect their health.
Nilsson emphasized that light activity, such as walking or doing household chores, still offers health benefits. The best results were seen in people who both exercised more than 2.5 hours a week and spent the least time sitting.
However, those who moved more throughout the day—even without formal exercise—also saw positive health effects.
The takeaway from this study is simple but powerful: every bit of movement matters.
For older adults, staying active doesn’t have to mean intense workouts. Even small changes, like getting up more often or going for short walks, can lead to better health and a lower risk of disease.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about how ultra-processed foods and red meat influence your longevity, and why seafood may boost healthy aging.
For more health information, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
Source: KSR.
