Motives for physical exercise in older adults from different contexts: typology and organization in practice

Abstract

This study was undertaken to understand the reasons related to typology and organization in physical practice taking into account the perceptions of the older adults. Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 39 older adults. The study participants consisted of 30 women and 9 men (mean age of men and women was M = 68 and 67.1, SD = 4.7 years, respectively), from three contexts. These environments were rural area, a neighbourhood at risk of exclusion and a high socio-economic urban context. The methodological analysis is inductive, emergent, delineating the speeches from the specific to the general, through the process of codifying the grounded theory. Several factors appeared after the emergent analysis of the interventions of older adults. In this line, social support and goal setting were prominent factors that served as facilitators for adherence to physical exercise programs. The encouragement and company of others were factors that facilitated adherence to the physical exercise. Relating to sex differences, older male adults prefer to exercise alone, compared to women. Researchers and health professionals can use these results to tailor motivational messages and promote health-enhancing behavioural interventions for older adult populations.