{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T18:57:32Z","timestamp":1776279452660,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,1]],"date-time":"2019-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1569888000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Ageing is a life-long process characterized by a progressive loss of physical fitness compromising strength, flexibility, and agility. The purpose of this study was to use accelerometry to examine the relationship between sedentary time, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with the elderly\u2019s physical fitness. Additionally, we aimed to examine the association between the aforementioned variables on older adults who fulfilled global recommendations on physical activity for health and on those who did not fulfil these recommendations. Methods: Eighty-three elderly (mean \u00b1 SD: 72.14 \u00b1 5.61 years old) of both genders volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional study, being divided into an active group (n = 53; 71.02 \u00b1 5.27 years old) and an inactive group (n = 30; 74.13 \u00b1 5.72 years old) according to the established guidelines. Sedentary and physical activity times were assessed using an ActiGraph\u00ae GT1M accelerometer, whereas physical fitness was evaluated with the Senior Fitness Test. Results: MVPA time was correlated with lower body mass index (BMI) ((rs = \u22120.218; p = 0.048; \u22120.3 &lt; r \u2264 \u22120.1 (small)) and shorter time to complete the agility test ((rs = \u22120.367; p = 0.001; \u22120.5 &lt; r \u2264 \u22120.3 (low)). Moreover, MVPA time was positively correlated with aerobic endurance ((rs = 0.397; p = 0.000; 0.5 &lt; r \u2264 0.3 (low)) and strength ((rs = 0.243; p = 0.027; 0.3 &lt; r \u2264 0.1 (small)). In the inactive group, MVPA time was positively correlated with upper limb flexibility ((rs = 0.400; p = 0.028; 0.5 &lt; r \u2264 0.3 (low)); moreover, sedentary time was negatively correlated with upper limb flexibility ((r = \u22120.443; p = 0.014; \u22120.5 &lt; r \u2264 \u22120.3 (low)), and LPA time was negatively correlated with BMI ((r = \u22120.423; p = 0.020; \u22120.5 &lt; r \u2264 \u22120.3 (low)). In the active group, MVPA time was correlated with lower BMI ((rs = \u22120.320; p = 0.020; \u22120.5 &lt; r \u2264 \u22120.3 (low)), and shorter time to complete agility test ((rs = \u22120.296; p = 0.031; \u22120.3 &lt; r \u2264 \u22120.1 (small)). Conclusions: Our results reinforce the importance of promoting MVPA practice among the elderly, thereby allowing physical fitness maintenance or improvement.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph16193697","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,1]],"date-time":"2019-10-01T11:11:16Z","timestamp":1569928276000},"page":"3697","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":50,"title":["The Sedentary Time and Physical Activity Levels on Physical Fitness in the Elderly: A Comparative Cross Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Fernanda","family":"M. Silva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports and Well-being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"},{"name":"University of Coimbra, 3040-248 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Petrica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports and Well-being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport, Health &amp; Exercise Research Unit (SHERU), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5112-4984","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Serrano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports and Well-being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport, Health &amp; Exercise Research Unit (SHERU), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2949-4564","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Paulo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports and Well-being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport, Health &amp; Exercise Research Unit (SHERU), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Andr\u00e9","family":"Ramalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports and Well-being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport, Health &amp; Exercise Research Unit (SHERU), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Dineia","family":"Lucas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports and Well-being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9 Pedro","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, 3040-248 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), University of Coimbra, 3040-248 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5055-2696","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Duarte-Mendes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports and Well-being, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"},{"name":"Sport, Health &amp; Exercise Research Unit (SHERU), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-266 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"567","DOI":"10.1007\/s10522-016-9641-0","article-title":"Physical activity in older age: Perspectives for healthy ageing and frailty","volume":"17","author":"McPhee","year":"2016","journal-title":"Biogerontology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1123\/jpah.8.1.18","article-title":"Fitness and Adiposity as Predictors of Functional Limitation in Adults","volume":"8","author":"Maslow","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. 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