According to a CNN report, replacing television time with physical activity significantly increases the chances of achieving healthy aging.
“Our take-home message is that replacing television time with light exercise, moderate-to-vigorous exercise, and sleep (for sleep-deprived participants) is beneficial for healthy aging,” said Dr. Morin Wang, an associate professor of medicine in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and lead author of the study.
“Numerous studies have shown that sedentary behavior has significant health consequences, so this result is not surprising,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and health care at National Jewish Health in Denver, who was not involved in the study.
“For the study, researchers analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which included more than 45,000 adults aged 50 years or older and without chronic diseases in 1992,” according to a study published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.
“The researchers followed people for 20 years to get information on the time they spent sitting and watching TV at work and at home, and the time they spent standing and walking at home and at work. The data was then analysed together with data on ageing.
“Healthy ageing was defined as living to at least age 70, being free of significant chronic diseases, and maintaining at least four domains of health, including no impairment in subjective memory, physical health, or mental health,” the study said.
To read the entire CNN article, click here.
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