THE EFFECT OF A GOAL SETTING TRAINING PROGRAM ON EXERCISE RENCE AMONG OLDER ADULTS
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Authors
Householter, James P.
Issue Date
1996
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Recent research has indicated that regular physical activity can minimize or improve the adverse consequences of the biological aging process. Despite these findings, there tends to be a marked reduction in physical activity with increasing age. This study examined whether a goal setting training program would positively influence exercise adherence among older adult exercisers. Participants from four low-impact aerobic exercise classes for older adults were assigned to an experimental intervention condition (n=34) or to a no-treatment control condition(n=8). Exercise adherence, which was monitored over a 12-week period, was assessed using actual frequency of attendance vs. expected frequency of attendance. The actual frequency of attendance for those in the goal setting training program held steady, while those in the control group showed a marked decline. These findings support the effectiveness of a goal setting training program at maintaining exercise adherence rates among older adults.