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Study of Nearly 88,000 Adults Finds a Surprising Exercise Benefit as You Get Older
AOL.com • • health
Key Points:
- A 2026 study of nearly 88,000 adults found that while younger adults (<63) with low physical activity had more than twice the relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the absolute benefit of exercise was greater in older adults due to their higher baseline risk.
- Researchers from Leiden University Medical Center used wrist accelerometers to track activity and followed participants for a median of 7.7 years, during which 2,140 developed type 2 diabetes.
- Lower activity levels (median 121 minutes/week) were linked to a 65% higher relative risk of diabetes in adults 63 and older, but absolute risk reduction from exercise was more significant in this group.
- Timing of exercise showed minimal impact on diabetes risk, suggesting total physical activity volume is more important than workout timing.
- The study is observational and based on a generally healthier, wealthier UK Biobank sample, so results may not be broadly generalizable; it also cannot prove causation between exercise and diabetes risk reduction.
