Helping older adults set realistic exercise-related goals may yield an increase in their activity

                    

   Posted on August 17, 2013 by Stone Hearth News


                 J Aging Phys Act. 2013 Aug 12. [Epub ahead of print] Older Women’s Personal Goals and Exercise Activity: An Eight-Year Follow-Up. Saajanaho M, Viljanen A, Read S, Rantakokko M, Tsai LT, Kaprio J, Jylhä M, Rantanen T. Source: Gerontology Research Center, Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.

 Abstract

 This study investigated the associations of personal goals with exercise activity as well as the relationships between exercise-related and other personal goals among older women.

Both cross-sectional and longitudinal design was used with a sample of 308 women aged 66 to 79 years at baseline.

 Women who reported exercise-related personal goals were four times more likely to report high exercise activity at baseline compared to those who did not report exercise-related goals.

Longitudinal results were parallel.

Goals related to cultural activities as well as to busying oneself around home coincided with exercise-related goals, while goals related to own and other people’s health and independent living lowered the odds of having exercise-related goals.

Helping older adults to set realistic exercise-related goals that are compatible with their other life goals may yield an increase in their exercise activity, but this should be evaluated in a controlled trial.

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