Adherence
Daily physical activity counts decrease by approximately 1.3% per year of age in older adults, with a significant drop in afternoon and evening activity intensity.
If you are over 60, expect your daily activity to naturally drop by about 1.3% each year. This drop is most noticeable in the afternoon and evening. To counter this, focus on maintaining morning activity levels and consider how employment or structured routines might help sustain activity later in the day.
In the fully adjusted model, continuous analyses demonstrated that overall physical activity counts were 1.3% lower for each year increase in age. Although there were no differences among morning levels of activity, there was significantly lower afternoon and evening activity in older individuals (p < .01).
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=611), objective measurement (accelerometry), and rigorous statistical adjustment, though it is cross-sectional.
Source
Assessing the "Physical Cliff": Detailed Quantification of Age-Related Differences in Daily Patterns of Physical Activity
Jennifer A. Schrack et al. · The Journals of Gerontology Series A · 2013
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