Exercise adherence or maintenance among older adults: 1-year follow-up study.
Follow-up evaluation was conducted of 101 older men and women (mean age = 67 +/- 5 years) who had participated in a randomized study of physiological and psychological effects of aerobic exercise. Eighty-five subjects completed the follow-up evaluation, and almost all of them (94%) reported continuing with physical activity, as assessed by a self-report measure. Total energy expenditure was calculated as an indicator of exercise maintenance, and energy expenditure at follow-up was predicted from measures of physiological functioning, psychological well-being, and cognitive functioning obtained at the conclusion of the structured exercise program. Greater cardiorespiratory endurance, faster psychomotor speed, and lower anxiety predicted exercise behavior at follow-up, accounting for 13% of the variance in exercise behavior. Gender was not a significant predictor of exercise behavior.
Emery
C F
CF
Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Hauck
E R
ER
Blumenthal
J A
JA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values