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Why Some Don't "Just Do It"

We've heard it a million times: Exercise is great for your health. People who exercise regularly have more energy, fewer weight problems, and less chance of developing diabetes, heart disease, and even some types of cancer. So what's stopping some people?

People often cite lack of time or an injury as the reason they don't exercise. In this study, almost half of the people over 60 replied that a past injury was the culprit that kept them from exercising. Since this is the age that many of these health problems start to show up, it makes sense to figure out how to keep people active with exercise.

To fix the problem, researchers sought to learn how a past injury might influence future exercise habits. They surveyed more than 2,000 participants of all ages living in Australia. They asked how active they were and what reasons they had for not exercising more. One of 19 possible barriers listed on the survey was having an injury or disability. Other reasons included lack of time, dislike of physical activity, or fear of injury. Respondents' body mass was calculated based on their weight and height.

Those who cited injury as the reason they didn't exercise had two things in common--they were either overweight or over 50. And those who were 60 or older were nearly twice as likely to report an injury than the 50- to 59-year-old group. The results from the overweight group bring up a cart-and-horse kind of question. Did their injuries result because they were overweight, or did they become overweight because their injury kept them from getting back to exercise? More research is needed to be able to answer this question accurately.

People 50 years old and older who are overweight need extra guidance about the importance of exercise and how to work around an injury. Health providers can help these individuals by designing a structured program that includes safe exercise choices and reassurance that even people with injuries can exercise in some fashion. Sometimes the fear of further injury keeps people from resuming activity rather than the injury itself.

References: Caroline Finch, Ph.D., et al. Current Injury or Disability as a Barrier to Being More Physically Active. In Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. May 2001. Vol. 33. No. 5. Pp. 778-782.

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