Older women's feelings about exercise and their adherence to an aerobic regimen over time

Sedentary, overweight women aged 60-70 years were assigned either to a 16-week health education group (n = 70) in which they were instructed to exercise aerobically on their own three times per week or to a 16-week exercise group (n = 76) that consisted of three supervised aerobic sessions per week. Regression analyses performed at post-test and at 3-, 6-, and 18-months follow-up revealed that exercise frequency was not explained by group membership, but often was negatively associated with placing a greater value on exercising with peers. Those who were exercising more often at 6- and 18-months follow-up, however, valued the perceived benefits of exercise more highly. The findings of this study suggest the importance of emphasizing strategies that stress the intrinsically motivating benefits of exercise, as well as building into programs those aspects of exercise valued by the participants.