Physical Activity Patterns Across the Lifespan

Physical activity exhibits dynamic patterns from early childhood through to older age, shaped by individual, social and environmental factors. In infancy and early childhood, spontaneous play and exploratory movements lay the foundation for motor skills, while structured activities such as organised sports or dance emerge in later childhood. During adolescence a pronounced decline in overall activity is often observed, particularly in moderate-to-vigorous intensity pursuits, coinciding with educational transitions and psychosocial changes. Young adulthood brings further shifts in domains of activity, with leisure-time pursuits, active commuting and occupational demands interacting to determine overall energy expenditure. In midlife, the balance between recreational exercise and sedentary behaviour often depends on family and work responsibilities, whereas in older adults physical activity patterns may be influenced by health status, mobility limitations and social support. Across the lifespan, trajectories of activity vary markedly between individuals, with subgroups exhibiting stable high activity, gradual declines or even late increases, underscoring the need for tailored interventions at key life stages to promote lifelong health and well-being.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Analyses of a large birth cohort have indicated that active commuting to school during childhood is positively associated with higher levels of leisure-time physical activity and daily step counts well into mid-adulthood. Childhood walking or cycling to school was linked with increased aerobic step accumulation on weekdays and weekends, and with sustained engagement in recreational exercise at age 30–40 years. These associations persisted after adjustment for socioeconomic and environmental covariates, suggesting that promoting active transport in early life may contribute to healthier activity patterns decades later.

Physical Activity Patterns Across the Lifespan publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in physical activity patterns across the lifespan across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Leisure-time physical activity: Voluntary exercise or recreation performed outside of work, school or household duties.

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA): Activity requiring energy expenditure above resting levels, typically including brisk walking, running or organised sports.

Active commuting: Use of walking, cycling or other human-powered transport for journeys to and from regular destinations such as school or work.

Latent class growth analysis: A statistical method for identifying subgroups within a population that share similar developmental trajectories over time.

References

1. Leisure-time physical activity trajectories from adolescence to adulthood in relation to several activity domains: a 27-year longitudinal study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2023).
2. Associations of active commuting to school in childhood and physical activity in adulthood. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Types of leisure-time physical activity participation in childhood and adolescence, and physical activity behaviours and health outcomes in adulthood: a systematic review. BMC Public Health (2024).
4. Change in physical activity from adolescence to early adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine (2017).