Barriers to participation in physical activity and exercise among middle-aged and elderly individuals

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Although the benefits of physical activity and exercise are widely acknowledged, many middle-aged and elderly individuals remain sedentary. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the external and internal barriers to physical activity and exercise participation among middle-aged and elderly individuals, as well as identify any differences in these barriers between the two groups. METHODS Recruited individuals were categorised into either the middle-aged (age 45-59 years, n = 60) or elderly (age ≥ 60 years, n = 60) group. Data on demographics, anthropometry, as well as external and internal barriers to participation in physical activity and exercise were collected. RESULTS Analysis showed no significant differences in the total scores of all internal barriers between the two groups (p > 0.05). The total scores for most external barriers between the two groups also showed no significant differences (p > 0.05); only 'cost' (p = 0.045) and 'exercise interferes with social/family activities' (p = 0.011) showed significant differences. The most common external barriers among the middle-aged and elderly respondents were 'not enough time' (46.7% vs. 48.4%), 'no one to exercise with' (40.0% vs. 28.3%) and 'lack of facilities' (33.4% vs. 35.0%). The most common internal barriers for middle-aged respondents were 'too tired' (48.3%), 'already active enough' (38.3%), 'do not know how to do it' (36.7%) and 'too lazy' (36.7%), while those for elderly respondents were 'too tired' (51.7%), 'lack of motivation' (38.4%) and 'already active enough' (38.4%). CONCLUSION Middle-aged and elderly respondents presented with similar external and internal barriers to physical activity and exercise participation. These factors should be taken into account when healthcare policies are being designed and when interventions such as the provision of facilities to promote physical activity and exercise among older people are being considered.

A qualitative study of the experiences and perceptions of adults with chronic musculoskeletal conditions following a 12‐week Pilates exercise programme

“…A few participants said that they were more likely to continue with Pilates because they had been advised by a clinician that this would improve function and quality of life. Research has shown that linking exercise with goals and improvement in quality of life is of key importance in developing long-standing behaviour change (McPhail et al, 2014;Segar et al, 2016;Justine, Azizan, Hassan, Salleh, & Manaf 2013).…”

Physical activity level and fall risk among community-dwelling older adults

“…There are many studies regarding this concern, however, the studies exploring the correlation between physical activity level and fall risk among community dwelling Malaysian older adults is limited. As Malaysia is a multiethnic country, the older adults’ perception about physical activity, falls and the factors (cultural barriers and social support) affecting their participation in the physical activity is different from developed countries11,12,13,14,15,16 ) . Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find the physical activity level and fall risk among the community-dwelling Malaysian older adults and determine the correlation between the two factors.…”

Perceived Barriers to and Facilitators of Engagement in Reverse Integrated Care

“…Indeed, lack of motivation was commonly cited as a major barrier to engagement-not unlike the general population. 19 Motivating oneself to attend to physical health needs becomes all the more difficult when compounded with mounting mental health concerns, as attested by several consumers. Because episodes of mental illness might disrupt and potentially cease care, sustained outreach is warranted to encourage re-engagement after periods of inactivity.…”