Everyday activities, including such things as washing dishes and gardening, may help seniors live longer than those who live more sedentary lives, a new study has found.

The study, in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association, measured the daily activity of 302 adults ages 70 to 82 over an eight-year period. Unlike past studies, the researchers looked at resting metabolic rates and carbon dioxide production to directly measure the amount of energy used.

“The most surprising thing is that the people in the highest activity group didn’t report any exercise; it was all the things we do in a day,” said Todd M. Manini, of the National Institute on Aging, the lead author of the study. Manini and his team found that everyday activities – what they called “free-living” activities – are helpful in reducing the risk of life-threatening diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Dr. Sara Czaja, co-director of the University of Miami’s Center on Aging, agreed that remaining active is important to aging well. “It reduces stress, helps cardiovascular health, it helps your immune system. It helps with your overall well-being,” said Czaja.

Czaja added that one thing that can keep seniors inactive is depression. To combat depression, she suggests seniors socialize by joining book clubs or mentoring programs.

At a senior center in Sunrise, Fla., on Wednesday afternoon, Shirley West said she and her friends recognize the benefits of the weekly dance class they attend.

“You’re never blue when you’re dancing,” said West, 83, of Tamarac, Fla., who said she was not surprised by the new study’s findings. “Too many people sit on their can. They’d rather go to an early grave than dance.”

Along with everyday chores and tasks, Manini suggests incorporating other physical activities. Among them:

• Walking, swimming or other exercises.

• Dance classes or other social activities that require physical activity, such as tennis clubs and tai chi classes.

• Using stairs instead of elevators, and parking in spaces far from away from any building you frequent so you have to walk a longer distance to get where you’re going.


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