Sitting for too long and not exercising enough can accelerate biological aging in elderly women, according to a recent study by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
The study, done by researchers from UCSD’s School of Medicine was published Wednesday in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Approximately 1,500 women, ages 64 to 95, participated.
Elderly women who exercise less than 40 minutes and sit for more than 10 hours per day have cells that are older by eight years compared to women who do moderate to vigorous physical exercise, according to the study.
“Our study found cells age faster with a sedentary lifestyle. Chronological age doesn’t always match biological age,” said Aladdin Shadyab, PhD, and lead author of the study with the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UCSD.
The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), which is a national study focused on investigating what causes chronic diseases in women after menopause.
According to Shadyab, studies in the future will study how exercise may impact men and younger women.
