A new Finnish study shows that adults who remain physically active throughout adulthood have a markedly lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome at the age of 61 than those whose leisure-time physical activity remains low. However, physical activity in early late adulthood, especially muscle strengthening exercises, may mitigate the risks associated with earlier inactivity.

The study is part of the ongoing Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, which has followed the same participants for more than 50 years. In this analysis, researchers examined the leisure-time physical activity of 159 participants at ages 27, 42, 50 and 61, as well as their cardiometabolic health, particularly the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, at age 61. Metabolic syndrome refers to the clustering of several cardiovascular risk factors, such as increased waist circumference, elevated blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism, and unhealthy blood lipid levels.

The researchers identified three trajectories of leisure-time physical activity across the 34-year follow-up: consistently active, increasingly active, and consistently inactive. Those who were consistently active exercised several times a week from early adulthood onwards, while those who increased their activity reached a similar level in midlife. Consistently inactive individuals exercised at most once a week throughout adulthood.

Compared to the consistently active group, consistently inactive participants had nearly a fourfold risk of metabolic syndrome at the beginning of late adulthood, while those who increased their activity had roughly a twofold risk. These differences diminished after taking into account participants’ current engagement in different types of physical activity at age 61.

“Long-term physical activity is clearly linked to better metabolic health in late adulthood, but our findings show that being active later in life also supports health. Muscle-strengthening physical activities in particular appear to play an important role in metabolic health,” says Postdoctoral Researcher Tiina Savikangas.

Of the individual components of metabolic syndrome, long-term leisure-time activity was associated with lower waist circumference and more favourable blood lipid values compared with those who had been less active during adulthood. These differences also decreased once current physical activity was considered. Participants who regularly engaged in muscle-strengthening exercise and active commuting had higher levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol; in addition, those who did muscle-strengthening exercise had, on average, a smaller waist circumference than those who did not.

Eero Haapala, University Lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä and Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland emphasises that the findings reinforce broader evidence on the importance of physical activity throughout life:

“The health benefits of physical activity are not limited to a single life stage. It is important to encourage individuals to stay active, but equally important to communicate that it is never too late to start.”

The publication draws on data from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) and particularly its latest data collection phase Developmental Psychological Perspectives on Transitions at Age 60: Individuals Navigating Across the Lifespan (TRAILS). The JYLS study began at the Department of Psychology and was conducted there for many years before continuing at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and the Gerontology Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. A total of 206 women and men took part in the TRAILS data collection in 2020–2021, and this analysis included a subsample of 159 participants who attended a health examination. Leisure-time physical activity frequency was assessed with questionnaires at ages 27, 42, 50, and 61. Regular participation in vigorous, muscle-strengthening, commuting, and occupational physical activity were assessed through questionnaires at age 61. Components of metabolic syndrome – waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure – were measured during the health examination and from fasting blood samples. Participants’ medication was also taken into account. Individuals who exceeded the clinical cut-off for at least three components were classified as having metabolic syndrome. The longitudinal study has been funded by the Research Council of Finland. Preparation of this publication was additionally supported by the Juho Vainio Foundation.

Further information on the JYLS and TRAILS studies:
The Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS): Developmental Psychological Perspectives on Transitions at Age 60: Individuals Navigating Across the Lifespan (TRAILS)