Exercise Attitudes and Behaviors: A Survey of Adults Age 50-79 - Aarp

Base: Total respondents.
Barriers to Exercise
% “Not Very” or “Not at All” Confident Can
Exercise When Situation Develops
(by Gender and Age)
Barriers to Exercise
Gender Age
Total Men Women 50-59 60-69 70-79
(1,000) (387) (613) (385) (345) (270)
% % % % % %
I am traveling 38 38 38 38 36 44
I don’t feel like it 35 37 32 32 37 35
I am depressed 33 35 31 36 30 34
I am under a lot of stress 28 30 26 24 28 31
I feel I don’t have the time 27 28 26 25 29 31
My gym is closed
I am spending time with friends or
27 24 29 26 26 34
family who do not exercise 25 27 24 27 26 26
My exercise partner decides not to
exercise that day 25 26 24 23 24 32
I am busy
My friends don’t want me to
24 24 24 23 25 28
exercise
I don’t have access to exercise
24 26 23 27 24 27
equipment 24 25 22 23 23 29
I am anxious
My spouse or significant other does
23 22 24 20 20 33
not want me to exercise 23 24 22 25 22 25
I am alone 18 18 17 20 17 20
I have to exercise alone 16 14 17 18 15 14
“I am going to read you a list of things that might or might not affect your ability to
exercise. After each one, please tell me how confident you are that you can exercise
when these situations develop—very confident, moderately confident, not very confident,
or not at all confident?” (Q.8)
Source: Second wave
© 2002 AARP Page 66