Is Sitting Time Related with Physical Fitness in Spanish Elderly Population? The Exernet Multicenter Study

BackgroundOlder adults spend most of their waking hours performing sedentary activities. The influence of these lifestyle patterns on the physical fitness (PF) levels of this population has not yet been sufficiently investigated.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine whether sedentary behavior (SB) (h center dot d(-1)sitting) is associated with PF, and specifically to analyze whether sitting >4 h center dot d(-1) is associated with higher risk of having lower levels of fitness in seniors.DesignEXERNET multi-center study.Participants and SettingsA representative sample of 3136 non-institutionalized elderly (aged 72.2+5.3 years), from 6 Regions of Spain were included in the study. Measurements: PF was assessed using 8 different tests from the EXERNET battery. Lifestyle patterns were collected using a validated questionnaire. ANOVA was used to compare the groups according to the hours of sitting. Binary logistic regression was used to calculate the association between the SB and low levels of fitness. Results: For both genders, those who spent sitting >4 h center dot d(-1) had lower levels of balance, agility, walking speed and aerobic endurance (p<0.001). Sedentary men also had less strength of lower extremities (p<0.05), whereas, sedentary women were less flexible in the lower extremities (p<0.001). More than 4 h center dot d(-1) sitting was associated, in men, to higher odds for having low strength (lower extremities), agility, flexibility (lower extremities) and aerobic endurance (p<0.05); and in women, to higher risk of low balance, strength (lower and upper extremities), flexibility (lower extremities), agility, walking speed and aerobic endurance (p<0.05). Conclusions: Seniors that sit >4 h center dot d-1 have lower levels of fitness and this behavior is related with an increased risk of having low levels of PF in this population.