Study of the relationships between physical activity levels, experienced bodily changes, age-stereotyped interpretations of changes, and motivation to exercise in older adults

Abstract

In this study, the relationships between physical activity levels, experienced changes, interpretations of bodily states, and motivation towards physical exercise were examined in a sample of older adults (n = 151). Males who reported low levels of physical exercise, who experienced negative physical changes, and who attributed the changes to aging reported lower levels of self-determined motivation for physical exercise. However, there were no such effects for females. Surprisingly, additional findings indicated possible benefits of attributing negative physical changes to aging among more active individuals. It was also found that participants with low levels of physical exercise, but high levels of self-determined motivation, were more likely to intend to increase their level of physical exercise in the future. The implications for promoting physical exercise in older adults are discussed.