Abstract—Long-term exercise participation among older
adults will result in healthier lifestyles and reduced need for
health care. A better understanding, therefore, of what influences
older individuals to start and maintain exercise plans
would be beneficial. The twofold purpose of this study was (1)
to create a knowledge base of determinants that influence exercise
behavior in older adults and (2) to have health professionals
prioritize determinants that affect exercise initiation and
adherence in older adults. The expert panel examined nine
determinants within the category of personal characteristics:
age, gender, ethnicity, occupation, educational level, socioeconomic
status, biomedical status, smoking status, and past exercise
participation. The experts rated the determinants on
importance for influencing exercise behavior of older adults.
This expert panel concluded that older adults who are in good
health and have a history of exercise activity might be more
likely to participate in long-term exercise programs.