Is Sitting Always Bad for Older Adults? A New Study Says Maybe Not

A study from Colorado State University (CSU) published in Psychology and Aging suggests that some sedentary behavior among older adults is not entirely bad, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers looked at the association between sensor-measured physical activity and cognitive performance in a sample of 228 healthy older adults 60 to 80 years old. As expected, those who engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous activity had better speed, memory, and reasoning abilities — yet adults who spent more time sedentary performed better on vocabulary and reasoning. The authors measured daily physical activity with scientifically validated sensors that are more accurate than average, consumer-based activity trackers. They also used a broad assessment that tested 16 cognitive tasks, as well as measured and controlled for socioeconomic and health factors like employment status, income level, aerobic fitness, blood pressure, and mobility problems. While "fluid" abilities such as speed and memory, problem solving, and reasoning skills, tend to decline throughout adulthood, study participants engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity did better on these tasks. "There's this big push within health and wellness that sitting is always bad for your body . . . and although our earlier studies indicated that the brains of those who spend more time sitting may age faster, it seems that on the cognitive level, sitting time may also be meaningful," concluded CSU Professor Aga Burzynska.