Abstract:
The American society is growing older. For the first time, the number of people over 65 is greater than those under 25 (Gorman & Brown, 1986). Not only has the number of older adults risen, but also adults are living longer.Reasons for not participating constitute barriers to their physical activity participation. Given the numerous benefits to physical activity, it is very important to investigate and eliminate the barriers which prevent older adults from participating in physical activity. For this study, anything that reinforces a decision not to participate in a physical activity is considered a barrier.The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived barriers to physical activity by older adults. It was also the intent of this study to review the specific types of barriers and the interaction of barriers with physical activity level. This study contributed to current research by focusing on the barriers of participation in physical activity for the older adults. Finding these barriers may increase the participation rate of more older adults.