Objective  To investigate the association between physical activity and metabolic diseases among elderly people in urban China and the effects of different types of physical activity on the risk of metabolic diseases.

  Methods  people with 60-year-old or above in Beijing and other cities were selected as the survey subjects.The PASE was used to survey the respondents' physical activity status and metabolic disease status.

  Results  The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with PASE of house work and PASE of low-load of physical exercise (P ≤ 0.05).The prevalence of obesity was significantly correlated with the PASE of looking-after-other-people's physical activity and medium-strength physical activity (PASE)(P ≤ 0.05).Prevalence of osteoporosis and the PASE of working, physical activity in looking after others, and high-intensity physical activity was significantly correlated (P ≤ 0.05).

  Conclusions  The risk of metabolic disease is significantly lower than that in elderly people who are actively involved in physical activity, suggesting the importance of scientific and regular physical activity for the prevention and improvement of metabolic diseases.