Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Physical Activity Levels Of Older Community-Dwelling Adults Are Influenced By Summer Weather Variables, Caitlin A. Brandon, Dawn P. Gill, Mark Speechley, Jason Gilliland, Gareth R. Jones

Geography & Environment Publications

Adequate daily physical activity (PA) is important for maintaining functional capacity and independence in older adults. However, most older adults in Canada do not engage in enough PA to sustain fitness and functional independence. Environmental influences, such as warmer daytime temperatures, may influence PA participation; however, few studies have examined the effect of summertime temperatures on PA levels in older adults. This investigation measured the influence of summertime weather variables on PA in 48 community-dwelling older adults who were randomly recruited from a local seniors’ community centre. Each participant wore an accelerometer for a single 7-consecutive-day period (between 30 May …