Sedentary time, physical activity and biological aging in 301,603 UK adults
In a UK Biobank cohort of 301,603 adults aged 38–73, more daily sedentary time was associated with higher biological age acceleration and physical activity with lower acceleration; replacing sedentary time with activity was linked to slower biological aging. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The study included 301,603 U.K. adults aged 38–73 years, with sedentary behavior summed from TV watching, computer use and driving and biological aging estimated by PhenoAge. [1]
Compared with 3 hours or less of sedentary behavior per day, 3–5, 5–8 and more than 8 hours per day were associated with higher biological age acceleration. [1]
Physical activity was associated with lower biological age acceleration, and replacing sedentary behavior with equal activity time was linked to slower biological aging. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Cohort study (abstract).
- Population / context
- 301,603 U.K. adults aged 38–73 years in the UK Biobank cohort.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 26, 2026
Sedentary time and activity in UK Biobank adults
The study included 301,603 U.K. adults aged 38–73 years. Sedentary behavior was quantified by summing daily time spent watching TV, using a computer and driving. Physical activity was quantified by the duration and frequency of light, moderate and vigorous activity. Biological aging was estimated with PhenoAge algorithms based on clinical traits. Linear regression and an isotemporal substitution model were used to test relationships with biological aging.
Supporting source [1]
Higher sedentary time linked to faster biological aging
Compared with people whose sedentary behavior was 3 hours per day or less, those with 3–5, 5–8 and more than 8 hours per day were associated with higher biological age acceleration, respectively. Physical activity was consistently associated with lower biological age acceleration. Replacing sedentary behavior with an equal amount of time in different physical activities was linked to slower biological aging.
Supporting source [1]
Cohort associations, not proven causes
The authors describe the findings as associations based on the UK Biobank cohort: sedentary behavior and lack of physical activity were associated with accelerated biological aging, and replacement was linked to slower biological aging. The abstract does not report follow-up duration, how sedentary and activity time were measured, or effect sizes. It also does not establish that replacing sedentary time causes slower biological aging. The authors suggest the population should replace sedentary behaviors with physical activity to delay biological aging.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports associations from a cohort, not causal effects, and does not give follow-up duration, measurement details or effect sizes.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Fan J, Yang Y, Jia X, Wang Y, Zhao C, Wang N, Bo Y, Shi X. · europepmc.org · August 26, 2026