Older adults who don’t get enough exercise and have trouble sleeping tend to be obese, according to a new study. Adding more activity could ease the negative impacts on sleeping on obesity.
Despite trouble sleeping, not getting enough exercise remains positively associated with obesity in older adults, according to the [findings](https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-025-05832-w) published Tuesday in _BMC Geriatrics_.
Researchers examined data on 10,891 participants who were aged 60 and older. All of the data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2018. The team used the Sleep Disorder Questionnaire to measure sleep issues, and measured physical activity using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. The team also relied on body mass index (BMI) to measure obesity.
Participants were put into one of four groups based on their activity levels: inactive, insufficiently active, weekend warrior (only active on certain days of the week) and regularly active.
Those who were weekend warriors and regularly active were less likely to be obese. Among older adults with trouble sleeping, those who were regularly active were less likely to be obese. Compared to sufficiently active group, both the inactive and insufficiently active groups showed a positive association with obesity, regardless of the presence of trouble sleeping.
Having a hard time with sleep is linked to obesity in older adults, but being active regularly could ease the impact of trouble sleeping on obesity, the authors concluded.
“Physical activity promotes better sleep by elevating body temperature, boosting energy expenditure, and stimulating endorphin secretion, thereby fostering restorative sleep and reducing the impact of trouble sleeping on BMI increase,” the authors wrote.
The news comes shortly after a recent study found that weight and resistance training could be the best type of workout to help older adults [combat insomnia](https://www.mcknights.com/news/report-weight-resistance-training-may-help-older-adults-tackle-insomnia/). Authors of that report found that aerobics or a mix of balance and flexibility workouts may also help to a lesser degree, according to a report published on March 3 in _Family Medicine and Community Health._