The rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu has made binge-watching easier than ever. While an occasional “Netflix and chill” session is enjoyable, mounting research links prolonged sitting to serious health risks. These risks can be especially pronounced in older adults, though younger people are affected too. The encouraging news is that small, practical changes can substantially reduce sitting time and improve overall health.
Recommended activity levels
The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, which can be divided into 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Alternatively, 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week is an option. The CDC also advises muscle-strengthening activities twice weekly and exercises that support balance.
Despite these guidelines, many older adults fall short. Data published in the 2021 Senior Report from the United Health Foundation showed that only 23.1% of adults 65 and older met the CDC’s activity recommendations. The report also highlighted concerning disparities in activity levels by region, gender, race, education, and income.
These shortfalls matter because sedentary behavior is tied to a range of negative health outcomes and increased mortality. Recent studies further illuminate these risks.
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Dementia and a sedentary lifestyle
A 2023 study led by researchers at the University of Southern California used data from the U.K. Biobank to examine whether sedentary behavior is associated with a higher risk of all-cause dementia in older adults. The study included 49,841 participants aged 60 or older from England, Scotland, and Wales who were free of dementia when they wore wrist accelerometers between February 2013 and December 2015. Researchers followed participants for an average of 6.72 years to track health outcomes.
During follow-up, 414 participants received a diagnosis of all-cause dementia. Analysis showed a significant nonlinear association between time spent sedentary and incident dementia among older adults. While the researchers cautioned that further work is needed to determine causation, the findings raise important concerns about the cognitive risks linked to extended sitting.
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Older women may be even more adversely impacted
Further research suggests that sedentary behavior may have particularly strong effects on women’s aging outcomes. A 2024 study by epidemiologists from Harvard, Wenzhou Medical University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital examined how sedentary habits predicted “healthy aging” in women. The researchers defined healthy aging as living to at least 70 years without experiencing one or more of 11 major chronic conditions and without cognitive or physical impairment.
The study analyzed 45,176 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study, all aged 50 or older and free of major chronic disease in 1992, then followed for 20 years. Sedentary measures included hours spent watching television, sitting at work, and sitting at home doing activities other than watching TV. The researchers also measured light physical activity (LPA), such as standing or walking at home and work.
Results showed that greater sedentary time reduced the odds of healthy aging. Specifically, each additional two hours of TV watching per day was associated with a 12% lower chance of healthy aging. By contrast, two hours of light physical activity per day was linked to a 6% increased likelihood of aging healthfully. Replacing one hour of TV time with light activity, moderate-to-vigorous activity, or even additional sleep for those who normally slept less than seven hours was associated with better odds of healthy aging.
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Counteracting sedentary time
The phrase “sitting is the new smoking” reflects growing evidence of the harms of a sedentary lifestyle. With fewer than one in four older adults meeting CDC activity guidelines, it’s important to prioritize movement to protect both physical and cognitive health.
There is also encouraging evidence about how much movement helps. A recent study examined daily step counts and their relation to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease. Researchers analyzed data from over 72,000 U.K. Biobank participants aged 40 to 69 and found that average sedentary time was 10.6 hours a day. They defined “high sedentary time” as 10.5 hours or more per day.
The study found that for people with both low and high sedentary time, walking more than 2,200 steps per day was associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. The greatest benefits were observed at roughly 9,000 to 10,000 steps per day.
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Making choices to avoid a sedentary lifestyle
Enjoying TV, reading, or other sedentary pastimes isn’t inherently harmful when balanced with regular movement. Walking is an accessible way to increase daily steps while supporting cardiovascular health, weight management, blood pressure control, and bone strength.
You don’t need to accumulate all steps at once. Short bouts of activity—15 or 30 minutes—throughout the day add up. Simple choices like parking farther from store entrances, taking stairs instead of elevators, or walking after meals can make a real difference.
Retirement communities, including continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), can make it easier for residents to stay active. Meal plans that require walking to dining areas, organized activities, and scheduled programs all encourage movement. That not only reduces sedentary time and increases daily steps, but also promotes social engagement and overall well-being.