Although a lack of physical activity has been identified as a key health risk factor, the majority of older adults remain sedentary. Activity restriction often is rooted in misconceptions about the aging process. Many adults believe that physical decrement is inevitable and irreversible with advancing age, ie, uncontrollable. Thus, motivation is low because it is assumed that exercise will not do any good or may even cause harm. Based on research in the area of cognitive aging, we propose a model of the relationship between control beliefs and aging-related decrements, which specifies that interventions to encourage regular physical activity should focus on teaching skills as well as promoting a sense of control.
Future research is needed to operationalize and test the model in the domain of physical activity.