By
Jill Barker, Special to the Montreal Gazette
August 30, 2026 at 6:05 a.m.
With so many baby boomers complaining of sore hips and knees and the number of diagnosed cases of osteoarthritis on the rise, researchers are actively exploring strategies to reduce its burden on subsequent generations.A degenerative joint disease that causes a slow loss of the cartilage that buffers friction between bone on bone, it’s often linked to decades of wear and tear. But it’s not enough to simply suggest osteoarthritis is an inevitable consequence of a body that’s been put through its paces. It’s likely several factors contribute toward increasing the risk of osteoarthritis, which is why several studies are taking a closer look at the causal effect of a variety of lifestyle behaviours and whether there are optimal levels of physical activity that ensure knees and hips stay healthy with age.To home in on a better exercise prescription for reducing the risk of osteoporosis, a research team from Luxembourg reviewed the movement patterns of 85,705 Dutch citizens age 40-69 years of age over a roughly seven-and-a-half-year period. Using data from accelerometers, the researchers tracked exercise type, volume and intensity, and sleep and compared it to osteoarthritis cases obtained from hospital records to better understand the relationship of 24-hour movement behaviours and the incidence of osteoarthritis.“The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the association between objective device-measured movement behaviours and incident hip and knee osteoarthritis, while accounting for the compositional nature of movement behaviours,” the researchers said.The idea of looking at cause and effect through a larger lens is important, as lifestyle factors like sleep, sedentary behaviours and exercise, work in combination to affect health and wellbeing. The 24-hour movement guidelines is a Canadian initiative that recommends the optimal combination of sleep, physical activity and sedentary behaviour with unique profiles for children, adults and older adults. The guidelines for adults 18-64 years advocate 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity, plus two strength training workouts per week, and several hours of light physical activity (basic tasks of everyday life that don’t qualify as intentional exercise), including standing per day. The recommendations also include getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep most days of the week and limiting sedentary time to eight hours or less a day (no more than three hours of screen time and breaking up long periods of sitting as often as possible).The results of the study, published in BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, were surprising, especially when it comes to the mix of lifestyle behaviours that are knee and hip friendly.“Our analysis suggests that reallocating time from strength training or light physical activity to moderate to vigorous physical activity or sleep was associated with lower hip and knee osteoarthritis, while conversely, reallocating time to strength training or light physical activity was associated with higher hip and knee osteoarthritis incidence,” the researchers stated.The suggestion of spending less time in light physical activity and more time exercising at a moderate to vigorous intensity wasn’t the surprise. It’s the finding reducing strength training and light physical activity in favour of more sleep that was contrary to previous studies examining the association of physical activity and knee and hip osteoarthritis.The researchers suggest the use of objective data obtained from accelerometers versus self-report via questionnaires is one of the reasons for the discrepancy, which is further proof results from studies using subjective data may benefit from a review using information from more reliable movement tracking technology — especially when it comes to gathering 24-hour movement patterns.Still, it’s the power of sleep, especially over the benefits of strength training, that is the most surprising. Greater lower body strength has often been linked to healthier joints, so the fact sacrificing time in the weight room to grab more zzzs offers greater protection against osteoarthritis is truly unexpected. What is it about sleep that makes it such a strong predictor of overall health and wellbeing? The researchers point to the numerous restorative processes that occur while sleeping, including reducing acute and chronic inflammation. That doesn’t mean strength training has no effect. The positive results were the strongest among those with the least amount of sleep. The data also indicated prioritizing strength training over light physical activity is better for hip and knee health. In fact, light physical activity seemed to offer the least protection against osteoarthritis, which the researchers believe is linked to long periods of standing.
“Light physical activity includes activities such as prolonged standing, which was associated with lower extremities pain and varicose veins, compromising vascular function,” the researchers said.The unique findings of this study are a testament to the power of life balance. Dragging yourself out of bed for an early morning workout may not be the healthiest choice when it comes to long-term outcomes. This may be especially true for enthusiastic exercisers whose body may better benefit from the restorative dividends of a good night’s sleep rather than another workout. It’s also a testimony of the importance of tracking more than your workouts or number of steps tallied a day. Maintaining health and vitality as we age isn’t the result of a single healthy habit, but rather a combination of sleep, exercise, diet and less time on the couch or staring at a screen.
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