The Effects of Age, Organized Physical Activity and Sedentarism on Fitness in Older Adults: An 8-Year Longitudinal Study

The aims of the present study were (1) to describe the changes in physical fitness during an 8 year follow-up in a large sample of Spanish adults aged 65 or over that are initially engaged in organized physical activity (OPA), (2) to compare fitness changes according to different age groups (65 to 69 vs. 70 to 74 vs. >= 75 years-old), (3) to evaluate the independent and combined effects of changes in OPA engagement and sitting time (ST) on physical fitness. A total of 642 (147 males) non-institutionalized over 65 years-old participants completed the EXERNET battery fitness tests and completed a validated questionnaire from which information regarding OPA and ST were collected. All participants completed evaluations in 2008-2009 and in 2016-2017. An impairment of fitness-related variables happens after 65 years of age in both males and females, with the older participants (>= 75), showing the largest decreases. Males who continued performing OPA demonstrated lower decreases in balance, leg flexibility and agility when compared to those who stopped performing OPA during the follow-up. Females who continued performing OPA demonstrated lower decreases of all variables except for balance when compared to those who stopped performing OPA during the follow-up.