Although the health benefits of physical activity for elderly
persons are well established, exercise is an underused form of
health promotion, especially in the elderly population. Physicians
must play a more active role in motivating their patients
to exercise. Clinicians historically have not actively promoted
physical activity and sometimes have even actively discouraged
activity. Motivation is not simply a static description of an
individual’s personality; rather, it is comprised of many modifiable
factors. We can think of the motivational model presented
earlier in terms of the motivation of health care professionals
reading this article to adopt the practice of
recommending exercise to their elderly patients. The perceived
importance of this goal is improved through information about
the benefits of exercise in the elderly. The perceived success of
the physician in affecting change in the elder’s exercise habits
is improved through information about the efficacy of this
behavior. Perceived cost is lessened through concrete, easily
achievable, quick recommendations for how to influence the
exercise habits of elders. Last, the inclination for health care
professionals to remain sedentary, that is, not advocate for their
elderly patients to exercise, is addressed: patients often perceive
lack of advice from physicians to exercise as tacit support
for sedentary behavior.
Elders face particular challenges in motivating to activity,
including illnesses, misinformed belief systems, lack of a peer
group, accessibility, financial concerns, a sense of disempowerment,
and fear of injury. In tailoring individualized exercise
prescriptions for our elder patients, one must take into account
each patient’s specific motivational limitations and address
each of these issues independently. Such a methodologic and
organized approach to counseling elders on physical activity
will help physicians ass