Researchers at University of California San Diego (UCSD) determined from their recent study, published in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, that physical activity and sedentary time played a stronger role than genetic predisposition for longevity.

For the study, researchers analyzed data starting in 2012 through 2020 from the Women’s Health Initiative Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Study (OPACH) of 5,446 women 63 years and older where participants wore accelerometer to measure time and intensity wearers spent moving and sedentary times.

They found that high levels of physical activities were associated with lower risk of death from all cause mortality. On the other hand, high levels of sedentary times was associated with higher risk of all cause mortality.

“Our study showed that, even if you aren’t likely to live long based on your genes, you can still extend your lifespan by engaging in positive lifestyle behaviors such as regular exercise and sitting less,” said author Dr. Aladdin Shadyab.

Sitting there and blaming your health problems doesn’t help you because it makes you a victim of circumstances and of things you cannot change. However, the fact is, through thousands upon thousands of scientific studies such as this one shows that there are many things we can do to improve our health, and one such thing is being physically active.

AI Posis et al. Associations of accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary time with all-cause mortality by genetic predisposition for longevity. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (2022). DOI:10.1123/japa.2022-0067