title: [Reasons for older adults independently continuing exercise after a supervised Square-Stepping Exercise intervention].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Square-Stepping Exercise (SSE), composed of movements similar to walking, involves varied movements in multiple directions and is performed on a thin mat (100 x 250 cm) that is partitioned into 40 squares (25 cm each). We introduced SSE to a group of older adults for three months as a supervised intervention. After this intervention period, the participants continued SSE without supervision for four years. The current study was conducted to determine why the participants independently continued SSE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 52 older adults who attended the SSE intervention, 40 continued SSE (continued group) and 12 discontinued (discontinued group). Seven in the continued group were excluded from analyses because of low attendance rates. Each of the remainder (n = 33) was independently interviewed and asked why he/she had continued SSE. The average interview time for the continued group was 12 minutes. Twelve in the discontinued group were investigated for exercise habits by postal questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants in the continued group noted two to six reasons for continuation of SSE. After analyzing data inductively, the answers were categorized as follows: (1) friends and social communication; (2) equitable management of group activity; (3) expectation of health from exercise; (4) simple-easy exercise; and (5) family support for exercise. The participants in the discontinued group reported that 89% of them continually did walking, muscular strength exercise, and calisthenics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that reasons why adoption of SSE as an intervention program for older adults enhance their exercise adherence in the long term.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Mie University.
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shigematsu
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okura
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakagaichi
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurimoto
authors.forename: Kiyoji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male