Older woman stands up from chair, light beams shining on her

Sitting and Your Health: Unpacking the Risks for Older Women

Lena Voss in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Prolonged sedentary behavior is linked to increased mortality risk, but new research sheds light on the specific dangers for aging women."

In our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, understanding the impact of prolonged sitting is crucial, especially for older adults. While it's widely known that excessive sitting can negatively affect health, recent studies are digging deeper into the specific risks and patterns associated with sedentary behavior, particularly among older women.

The Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health (OPACH) Study, along with related research, provides valuable insights into how sedentary time and patterns correlate with mortality and cardiovascular health in this demographic. This article will explore these findings, offering a clear understanding of the risks and practical advice for promoting healthier habits.

Our focus is to equip you with information derived from science-backed research to make informed decisions about your well-being. We aim to translate complex research findings into understandable concepts and actionable steps.

The Risks of Prolonged Sitting: What the Research Shows

Older woman stands up from chair, light beams shining on her

The OPACH study, involving over 7,000 ethnically diverse postmenopausal women, used accelerometers to objectively measure physical activity and sedentary behavior. The study followed participants for up to 4.9 years, tracking incident cases of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. This approach allowed researchers to move beyond self-reported data, which can be inaccurate, and gain a more precise understanding of sedentary habits.

Key findings from the research highlight a significant association between sedentary behavior and increased mortality risk. Specifically, women in the highest quartiles of sedentary time had a notably higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those in the lowest quartile. Moreover, this risk was even more pronounced for cardiovascular disease-related mortality.

Increased Mortality Risk: Higher amounts of sedentary time correlate with a greater risk of death from all causes.
Cardiovascular Danger: The link between prolonged sitting and mortality is particularly strong for cardiovascular-related deaths.
Sedentary Patterns Matter: How you accumulate sedentary time (e.g., long bouts versus frequent breaks) also influences your risk.

These results remained significant even after adjusting for various factors such as age, race/ethnicity, education, health status, and physical activity levels. This underscores the independent impact of sedentary behavior on health outcomes, emphasizing that even active individuals may face increased risks if they spend excessive time sitting.

Interrupting the Sit: Practical Steps for a Healthier Life

The research clearly indicates that reducing sedentary time and modifying sedentary patterns are crucial for promoting health and longevity, especially in older women. While the study highlights the risks, it also emphasizes the potential benefits of interventions aimed at breaking up prolonged sitting.

Consider these actionable strategies to integrate into daily routine: Set reminders: Use timers or apps to remind you to stand up and move every 30 minutes. Incorporate movement: Take short walking breaks during phone calls or while watching television. Create an active workspace: Consider a standing desk or a treadmill desk to reduce sitting time at work. Find social support: Join a walking group or exercise class to stay motivated and active. Balance sitting with activity: Aim for a mix of light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity throughout the week, as recommended by health guidelines.

By taking proactive steps to reduce sedentary time and adopt more active habits, women can significantly improve their health outcomes and enhance their overall well-being as they age. The key is to find sustainable strategies that fit individual lifestyles and preferences, making movement an integral part of daily life.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.3021, Alternate LINK

Title: Sedentary Behavior And Mortality In Older Women

Subject: Life-span and Life-course Studies

Journal: Innovation in Aging

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Authors: A Z Lacroix, J Bellettiere, M J Lamonte, D E Rosenberg

Published: 2018-11-01

Everything You Need To Know

What kind of study was conducted to investigate the effects of sitting on older women?

The Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health (OPACH) Study used accelerometers to objectively measure physical activity and sedentary behavior in over 7,000 ethnically diverse postmenopausal women. This study followed participants for up to 4.9 years, tracking incident cases of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. The focus on objective measurement allowed researchers to gain a precise understanding of sedentary habits, moving beyond self-reported data. This approach is important because it provides reliable data on how sedentary time and patterns correlate with mortality and cardiovascular health in the specific demographic of older women.

What are the main health risks associated with prolonged sitting?

Prolonged sedentary behavior, meaning spending a lot of time sitting, is significantly linked to an increased risk of mortality, particularly cardiovascular-related deaths. Specifically, the OPACH Study showed that women in the highest quartiles of sedentary time had a notably higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those in the lowest quartile. The research highlights how important it is to reduce sedentary time and modify sitting patterns to promote health and longevity in older women. This means that even if older women are active otherwise, prolonged sitting can still have negative health implications.

Does the way in which you sit matter in terms of your health?

The connection between how sedentary time is accumulated and health risk means that the pattern of sitting matters. This means that whether you sit for long continuous periods or take frequent breaks throughout the day can influence your risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease. The study did not explicitly delve into this, but the implication is that breaking up long bouts of sitting may be beneficial. Further research would likely be required to determine the optimal patterns for mitigating these risks.

What can older women do to reduce the risks of prolonged sitting?

Mitigating the risks associated with prolonged sitting involves reducing sedentary time and modifying sitting patterns. The article emphasizes the potential benefits of interventions aimed at breaking up prolonged sitting, though it does not specify what these interventions are. Practical steps could include taking regular breaks to stand and move, incorporating standing desks, or engaging in light activity. The key is to interrupt the sedentary behavior and to not sit for excessive periods without movement. This is particularly important for older women, as shown by the OPACH study.

Why is the research on sitting and health important for older women?

The significance of this research lies in its focus on older women and its use of objective measures of sedentary behavior. The OPACH Study provides concrete evidence of the negative health impacts of prolonged sitting. This information is important because it offers a clear understanding of the risks associated with sedentary behavior. This can then be used to make informed decisions about well-being, especially by older women. The findings from the OPACH study can then be applied to promote healthier habits.