Studies have found that older adults with regular activity are happier and perform better on cognitive tests

According to a new study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, older adults who persisted in waking up early and remaining active throughout the day were happier and performed better

The findings, published in JAMA Psychiatry, show that activity patterns — not just activity intensity — are important

Dr Stephen Smagura, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the University of Pitt, said: "Getting up early, staying active all day and following the same schedule every day seems to protect older adults

To learn more about patterns of daily activity in older Americans and to identify links to mental health and cognition, Smagula and his team recruited 1,800 seniors

The analysis showed that 37.

"Many older people have a robust lifestyle: they get up before 7 a.

Another group of 32.

"People often think that exercise intensity is important for health, but the duration of exercise may be more important

The activity patterns of the remaining 29.

According to Smagula, the relationship between mental health and activity patterns can go both ways: depression or cognitive impairment makes it harder for people to follow consistent daily activities, whereas disruption of the pace of activity may exacerbate these symptoms

Smagullah explains: "Our findings suggest that disruptions in activity patterns are very common and are associated with health problems in older adults

Now, Smagula and his team are developing interventions to test their hypothesis that developing more consistent daily habits by changing behaviors will boost cognitive abilities and improve mental health

Smagula says the first step to developing a regular schedule and getting a good night's sleep is getting up at the same time every day — no matter how tired

"Another thing is to make a realistic plan to keep yourself active

Time cues are called "timing factors" that help set the body's internal clock and also help form a stable daily life
.
This includes sunshine, exercise and diet
.
Pets are often required to eat and walk at the same time every day, and they can be an important social timing factor
.

"Most people are aware of the importance of good sleep and exercise, but I think what's missing in this picture is a daily or circadian pattern
of activity," Smagula said.
"Waking up every morning with something to do and spending a whole day that you feel purposeful and rewarding can be important
for us to sleep well at night and age well.
"

Other authors of the study include Swathi Gujral, Ph.
D.
, Charles F.
Reynolds III, MD, and Gehui Zhang b.
s.
, all from Pitt or the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Dr.
Naima Covassin of the Mayo Clinic; Jingen Li, M.
D.
, Mayo Clinic, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Warren D.
Taylor, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; and Dr.

Robert T.
Krafty of Emory University.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R21MH120511 and R21AG074094
).