Research
Adherence
Loneliness is negatively associated with physical activity levels in older adults.
High levels of loneliness are linked to lower physical activity in older adults. If you feel isolated, addressing that social disconnect may be a prerequisite to increasing your physical activity levels.
ModerateRefutesMEDIUM confidence
Four of the six loneliness studies [58, 59, 61, 63] found a significant negative association.
Why this rating
Based on 6 studies, mostly cross-sectional, with moderate quality.
Source
The association between social support and physical activity in older adults: a systematic review
Gabrielle Lindsay-Smith et al. · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 2017
DOI 10.1186/s12966-017-0509-8
systematic_reviewCited 874×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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