Associations of lifetime walking and weight bearing exercise with accelerometer-measured high impact physical activity in later life

Abstract

High impact physical activity (PA) is thought to benefit bone. We examined associations of lifetime walking and weight bearing exercise with accelerometer-measured high impact and overall PA in later life. Data were from 848 participants (66.2% female, mean age = 72.4 years) from the Cohort for Skeletal Health in Bristol and Avon, Hertfordshire Cohort Study and MRC National Survey of Health and Development. Acceleration peaks from seven-day hip-worn accelerometer recordings were used to derive counts of high impact and overall PA. Walking and weight bearing exercise up to age 18, between 18–29, 30–49 and since age 50 were recalled using questionnaires. Responses in each age category were dichotomised and cumulative scores derived. Linear regression was used for analysis. Greater lifetime walking was related to higher overall, but not high impact PA, whereas greater lifetime weight bearing exercise was related to higher overall and high impact PA. For example, fully-adjusted differences in log-overall and log-high impact PA respectively for highest versus lowest lifetime scores were: walking [0.224 (0.087, 0.362) and 0.239 (− 0.058, 0.536)], and weight bearing exercise [0.754 (0.432, 1.076) and 0.587 (0.270, 0.904)]. For both walking and weight bearing exercise, associations were strongest in the ‘since age 50’ category. Those reporting the most walking and weight bearing exercise since age 50 had highest overall and high impact PA, e.g. fully-adjusted difference in log-high impact PA versus least walking and weight bearing exercise = 0.588 (0.226, 0.951). Promoting walking and weight bearing exercise from midlife may help increase potentially osteogenic PA levels in later life.

Machine Learning Models for Weight-Bearing Activity Type Recognition Based on Accelerometry in Postmenopausal Women

“…Our classifiers were able to accurately detect bouts of walking and jogging, which are important activities for several health outcomes [ 51 ] including skeletal health. Clinical trials have shown that walking improves femoral neck bone mineral density [ 52 ], and population studies have found that participation in walking since age 50 is associated with higher levels of osteogenic physical activities in older age [ 53 ]. Similarly, an analysis of UK Biobank data found that accumulating 1–2 min/day or high intensity PA equivalent to slow jogging in postmenopausal women was associated with better bone health [ 54 ].…”

Assessment of Activity Profiles in Older Adults and Lower Limb Bone Parameters: Observations from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study

“…Until accelerometers were developed, questionnaires were used to estimate the degree of loading to the skeleton through quantification of PA [ 4 , 5 ]. This proxy measure of mechanical loading was often obtained using self-reported PA in older adults [ 6 ].…”

“…The positive benefits of differing physical activities to bone have been widely investigated. Elhakeem and colleagues findings suggested that walking and weight bearing exercise, such as tennis and dancing, may be important for better skeletal health in older age [ 5 ]. The benefit of resistance training on skeletal health has also been demonstrated.…”