Technological assessment of physical activity for health

Our goal is to develop methods for the measurement of physical activity that are widely usable in research and practice to enhance our understanding of the benefits of a physically active lifestyle on long-term health.

Walk test with wearable sensors on a laboratory corridor

Overview

Core fields of research

Physical activity, health and wellbeing

Research areas

JYU.Well

Physical activity through life span

Active aging

Faculty

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

Research group description

We are using wearable technology and advanced analysis methods to quantify health-related aspects of daily physical activity. We are exploring different dimensions of activity, such as volume, intensity, duration, frequency, and type, and their associations to health in different population groups. The main goals are to develop methods that are widely usable in research and practice and to enhance our understanding of the benefits of a physically active lifestyle on long-term health.

Current

Members

Research group

Group leaders

Laura Karavirta

Associate professor

Members

Matti Hyvärinen

Postdoctoral Researcher

Niina Kajan

Project researcher

Kirsi Keskinen

Postdoctoral Researcher

Kaisa Koivunen

Postdoctoral Researcher

Katja Lindeman

Project researcher (absent)

Antti Löppönen

Postdoctoral Researcher

Postdoctoral Researcher

Publications

Publication

2025

Body composition and functional capacity as determinants of physical activity in middle-aged and older adults : a cross-sectional analysis

European Review of Aging and Physical Activity.

Hyvärinen, Matti

Kankaanpää, Anna

Rantalainen, Timo

Rantanen, Taina

Laakkonen, Eija K.

Karavirta, Laura

Publication

2025

Determinants of mobility in community-dwelling older adults : a network analysis before, during and two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

Lindeman, Katja

Rantanen, Taina

Tuomola, Essi-Mari

Eronen, Johanna

Karavirta, Laura

Koivunen, Kaisa

Publication

2025

Differences in prolonged walking intensity and duration between older people reporting difficulty, modifications or no difficulty in walking

Experimental Gerontology.

Peltomaa, Heli

Rantakokko, Merja

Matikainen-Tervola, Emmi

Aittokoski, Timo

Rantanen, Taina

Karavirta, Laura

Publication

2025

Free-Living Physical Activity Energy Expenditure Based on Accelerometry Versus Heart Rate in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour.

Neuvonen, Joona

Aittokoski, Timo

Rantalainen, Timo

Lipponen, Jukka

Palmberg, Lotta

Brage, Soren

Gonzales, Tomas I.

Portegijs, Erja

Rantanen, Taina

Karavirta, Laura

Publication

2025

Physical determinants of daily physical activity in older men and women

PLoS ONE.

Karavirta, Laura

Aittokoski, Timo

Pynnönen, Katja

Rantalainen, Timo

Westgate, Kate

Gonzales, Tomas

Palmberg, Lotta

Neuvonen, Joona

Lipponen, Jukka A.

Turunen, Katri

Nikander, Riku

Portegijs, Erja

Rantanen, Taina

Brage, Søren

Publication

2025

Use it or lose it : a four-year follow-up assessing whether physical activity near one’s capacity reduces the risk of functional decline among older adults

European Review of Aging and Physical Activity.

Löppönen, Antti

Lindeman, Katja

Palmberg, Lotta

Van Roie, Evelien

Delecluse, Christophe

Portegijs, Erja

Rantanen, Taina

Rantalainen, Timo

Karavirta, Laura

Publication

2024

24-hour movement behaviors and changes in quality of life over time among community-dwelling older adults : a compositional data analysis

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Palmberg, Lotta

Suorsa, Kristin

Löppönen, Antti

Karavirta, Laura

Rantanen, Taina

Rantalainen, Timo

Publication

2024

Comparing the associations between muscle strength, walking speed, and mortality in community-dwelling older adults of two birth cohorts born 28 years apart

GeroScience.

Koivunen, Kaisa

Portegijs, Erja

Karavirta, Laura

Rantanen, Taina

Publication

2024

Free-Living Sit-to-Stand Characteristics as Predictors of Lower Extremity Functional Decline Among Older Adults

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Löppönen, Antti

Karavirta, Laura

Finni, Taija

Palmberg, Lotta

Portegijs, Erja

Rantanen, Taina

Delecluse, Christophe

Van Roie, Evelien

Rantalainen, Timo

Publication

2024

Laboratory-assessed gait cycle entropy for classifying walking limitations among community-dwelling older adults

Experimental Gerontology.

Mattila, Olli-Pekka

Rantanen, Taina

Rantakokko, Merja

Karavirta, Laura

Cronin, Neil

Rantalainen, Timo

Publication

2024

Longitudinal changes in life-space mobility and autonomy in participation outdoors among Finnish community-dwelling older adults from pre-COVID-19 to through the pandemic

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

Lindeman, Katja

Karavirta, Laura

Koivunen, Kaisa

Keskinen, Kirsi E.

Eronen, Johanna

Portegijs, Erja

Rantanen, Taina

Publication

2024

Physical Activity Changes From Before to During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Finland

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.

Lindeman, Katja

Karavirta, Laura

Eronen, Johanna

Kajan, Niina

Portegijs, Erja

Rantanen, Taina