Weather Seems to Affect Physical Activity Level of Older Adults, Study Shows

A study of more than 1,200 older adults published in PLOS One found their activity levels to be higher during periods of warmer, dry weather, reports News-Medical.net . "Older people in poor physical condition become less physically active if there's more rain in the summer," says Nils Petter Aspvik at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "Higher temperatures, on the other hand, have a positive effect on their activity level in both summer and winter months." The researchers split the participants into categories based on whether they scored low, medium, or high on a fitness test. From April to October, results indicated that the least fit participants were less active the wetter it was, whereas rain and rainfall amount did not seem to impact the level of activity of those in better physical condition. "Participants who are in good physical shape are likely to be people who are active in everyday life and who exercise relatively regularly," Aspvik notes. "It's easy to imagine that these individuals have acquired habits and attitudes in addition to their physical activity so that they don't regard bad weather as an obstacle." From November through March, men in good shape were actually more active the more it rained. "The study also shows that changes in weather are more important for activity levels in the warmer months than in the winter months from November to March," Aspvik says. "Walking is the most common activity among seniors, and we know from other studies that slippery surfaces and less daylight reduce activity levels."