If you are working with older adults, you may find they have many barriers that can get in the way of their engagement with exercise. You need to identify these barriers and work collaboratively with the older adults to overcome these obstacles and support engagement. These barriers, for example, may be related to physical, access, or psychological issues. Here, we shall focus solely on psychological barriers to exercise, and several are listed below. Please note this list is not exhaustive, there are many more!

• The belief that it is “too late to start” exercising. Some older adults may feel they have missed the opportunity to improve their health and fitness and may not see the point in starting to exercise at an advanced age.
• Low self-esteem, self-efficacy and/or body image: Older adults may have negative beliefs about their ability to exercise or improve their health. This may be linked to negative experiences with exercise in the past, such as being criticized for their physical abilities. They may also hold negative perceptions of their own physical appearance and may be self-conscious about exercising in front of others
• Lack of motivation: Some older adults may not see the value of exercise and are unaware of the many physical and mental health benefits that regular exercise can provide. Some may not find traditional forms of exercise appealing, and may not be motivated to try new activities.
• Fear of injury or re-injury: Some older adults may be afraid of getting hurt or re-injuring themselves while exercising.
• Fear of failure: Some older adults may be afraid of not being able to meet the expectations of others or their own expectations.
• Social isolation: Some older adults may feel lonely or isolated, which can make it harder for them to find the motivation to engage in physical activity. They may lack the support and encouragement of family or friends to engage in regular physical activity.

It’s important to remember that these psychological barriers are unique to each person and that it may require different strategies to motivate and support them. It’s also worth noting that starting with something is better than nothing. Even small amounts of physical activity can have beneficial effects on health. It is important to encourage older adults to be active and to set realistic and achievable goals, taking into account their current abilities, and to provide them with tailored support to achieve those goals. Whilst the information provided here is quite simplistic, it has hopefully highlighted that it is important to talk with your older clients, discuss any issues they may have, and work with them to get them moving.