Age-related Differences in Motives for and Barriers to Exercise Among Women Exercising in Fitness Centers

The aim of the study was to reveal age differences in motives and barriers of women attending fitness centers. 157 women aged 17-83 (M=43.86±15.40) participated in the study. All of them were members of fitness centers in the Silesia Metropolis in Poland. The most common reported motives for exercising were health and revitalization. Four motives changed when comparisons were made between age groups: affiliations, competition, health pressure and avoiding diseases. All these motives were stronger in older women. The main barriers to exercising were time constraints and physical limitations. The severity of time barrier significantly decreased with age and in older women it fell into the second place in the hierarchy, giving priority to physical barriers.