Apple heart study shows older adults outpacing younger adults

In anticipation of heart month, which starts Feb. 1, Apple has released some preliminary findings from its Heart and Movement Study, which tracks the activity data of Apple Watch owners who signed up for one of the company's wellness studies. 

An early analysis of more than 18 million workouts logged using Apple Watch during the pandemic revealed that older adults ages 65 and up were more likely than younger adults to meet their goal of at least 150 active minutes per week. Participants in the study, conducted in partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital and the American Heart Association, clocked the most activity minutes through walking, cycling and running. 

While 150 minutes is the AHA's recommended weekly activity goal, participants in the study with above-average cardio fitness levels clocked at least 200 minutes of activity per week, and those with high cardio fitness clocked at least 300 per week, regardless of age or gender. 

Dr. Calum MacRae, a cardiologist and the principal investigator of the Heart and Movement Study, said that researchers were intrigued to find that adults age 65 and up were the most likely to complete at least 150 active minutes per week. 

"There are lots of potential reasons why this could be the case, including availability of time in retirement or unexpected impacts of the pandemic," MacRae said. "One of the great things about this study is the active engagement with participants enables us to iteratively explore this finding and better understand the elements that contribute to this observation." 

Apple also announced a new Activity Challenge that prompts users to complete 30 minutes in their Exercise ring on Feb. 14 to earn a special award. In addition, it's offering extra savings in February for customers in some countries looking to upgrade their Apple Watch.