Early risers — who also stay busy — benefit from a better mood, mind

So the early bird does get the worm.

In this case, the worm is good health. A new study shows early risers who also stay active throughout the day performed better on cognition tests and had lower rates of depression.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center discovered that waking up early benefits elderly adults who are awake closer to dawn — before 7 a.m. — and exercised consistently.

But the exercise time was more important than the intensity, researchers found. Those who intensely exercised for 30 minutes to an hour every day saw less benefit than those who only exercised lightly, like walking, throughout the day.

Combined with early rising, the consistent exercise could be linked to improved or maintained cognitive health as people age.

“People often think about activity intensity being important for health, but it might be the duration of activity that matters more,” said Stephen Smagula, Ph.D., an assistant psychiatry professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, in a statement. “This is a different way of thinking about activity: You may not need to be sprinting or running a marathon but simply staying engaged with activities throughout the day.”

The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry on Tuesday, used data from 1,800 people over the age of 65 who were hooked to accelerometers, which detect movement and exercise.

For a week, participants were monitored and completed surveys regarding their mood.

As a result, the researchers discovered that the group who tested best on cognitive exams and were the least depressed was the 37% of participants who woke up at or before 7 a.m. and stayed active throughout the day.

“Many older adults had robust patterns: They get up before 7 a.m. on average, and they keep going; they stay active for 15 hours or so each day. They also tend to follow the same pattern day in, day out,” said Smagula. “Lo and behold, those same adults were happier, less depressed and had better cognitive function than other participants.”

While a third of people held consistent routines, they woke up late in the day or went to bed earlier, resulting in poorer test results and increased reports of depression. But the remaining 30% of participants came in last due to inconsistent daily patterns and inconsistent activity, scoring the worst on tests and reporting more depression.

“Our findings suggest that activity pattern disruption is very common and associated with health problems in older adults,” Smagula added. “The relationship is likely bidirectional, so the good news is we think that simple changes — things everyone can try — can restore regular activity patterns and doing so may improve health.”

Keeping a routine, in fact, also seemed to be key in the study.

“Most people are aware of the importance of good sleep and exercise, but I think what’s missing from this picture is the daily, or circadian, pattern of activity,” continued Smagula. “Having something to wake up for each morning and having a full day that you find purposeful and rewarding might be what’s important for us sleeping well at night and aging well.”