Getting enough sleep and doing moderate-to-vigorous exercise can help with healthy aging, according to a study published today in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The study’s recommendations may sound like common sense, but the research adds more weight to the idea that a combination of movement and good sleep, even into later years, helps make for a longer, healthier life.

The study authors said more vigorous physical activity is associated with increased odds of healthy aging.

They added that sleep duration has an inverted U-shaped association with healthy aging, with seven hours of daily sleep associated with the highest odds of healthy aging.

However, they caution that in modern society, vigorous physical activity accounts for only about 4% of adults’ waking time whereas sedentary behavior occupies approximately 60% of adults’ waking time and has significantly increased over time.

The cohort study looked at 45,176 females from the ongoing Nurses Health Study, which started in 1976 and is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The study examined nurses 50 years and older who didn’t have major chronic disease in 1992. Scientists followed up with them for 20 years. The data was analyzed from January to May 2022.

The scientists defined healthy aging as living to at least 70 while maintaining four health domains (mental health, physical function, no major chronic diseases, and no impairment in subjective memory).

Researchers reported that the study subjects who replaced time spent watching television with light physical activity as well as those who did moderate to vigorous physical activity or got at least seven hours of sleep were all associated with better odds of healthy aging.

The researchers concluded that sedentary behaviors – especially prolonged television watching – were associated with decreased odds of healthy aging.

In comparison, light physical activity was associated with significantly increased odds of healthy aging and moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with even higher odds of achieving healthy aging.

The study simply means promoting more movement and less sedentary time, especially for older adults, can improve certain aspects of health and quality of life.

To improve sleep and start exercising, maintain a regular sleep schedule and a relaxing bedtime routine. Ensure your sleep environment is cool, dark, and quiet, and limit screen time before bed.

For exercise, try to incorporate aerobic exercise, resistance training, neuromotor exercises, mind-body exercises and/or more physical activity. All of these modalities provide both shared and unique health benefits, which may also improve sleep. More relaxing modalities that incorporate breathing and stretching, such as yoga and tai chi, may be helpful prior to sleep.

Sleep helps aging in many ways, including improved memory, improved heart health, better glucose control, less risk of Alzheimer’s and more. Exercise, due to the production of myokines, is so important for aging. It helps maintain cognitive health, decreases inflammation, builds muscle important for longevity, improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood pressure, and much much more.