By: John Crawley, PT, DPT, OCS
A recent study by M. Erickson et. al. looked at how patterns of rest and activity, like when we’re active and when we sleep, relate to our overall physical health as we get older. Researchers studied nearly 800 older adults, most of them in their mid-70s, and used wearable devices to track their movements around the clock. They measured things like how strong and regular their activity rhythms were and what time of day they were most active.
They then compared these activity patterns to two key indicators of health: how fit their hearts and lungs were (measured by how much oxygen their bodies could use during exercise) and how efficiently they walked. The results showed that people with more consistent and stronger daily activity rhythms tended to have better heart and lung fitness and walked more efficiently. In addition to keeping a regular routine, those that had a peak activity level earlier in the day saw added cardiovascular fitness. The take home message is having a predictable schedule for when you’re active and when you rest might be really important for staying healthy as you age.
Click Here to schedule your next appointment with the experts at MEND
Citation:
Erickson ML, Blackwell TL, Garcia RE, et al. Rest Activity Rhythms and their Association with Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Walking Energetics in Older Adults: Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Published online April 18, 2025. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003730