Leisure Activities and Exercise for Older Adults

Older adults should enjoy active leisure for a longer, healthier life. Recent research shows that doing different recreational and exercise activities to achieve recommended physical weekly activity levels is linked with as much as a 13% lower death risk for older adults.

National Cancer Institute researchers in Rockville, Maryland, analyzed data from 272,550 adults ages 59–82 and evaluated whether participating in seven activities—running, cycling, swimming, aerobic exercise, racquet sports, golf and exercise walking—showed a relationship with enhanced longevity.

Playing racquet sports was associated with the greatest benefit—a 16% overall risk reduction and a 27% risk reduction of death by heart disease. Running offered a 15% overall risk reduction and the greatest reduction (19%) in cancer death risks.

Even minimal participation—less than weekly recommendations—offers 5% risk reduction benefits. Study authors suggest that older adults find enjoyable activities that they will sustain. A caveat is that the study population was primarily high socioeconomic, white and older, so results may not be generalizable to the general population.

The study is published in JAMA Network Open (2022; 5 [8], 2228510).

See also: Vigorous Exercise Benefits Older Adults