# Exploration of Exercise Characteristics and Psychological Impact of Cold Urban Elderly Based on Multivariate Data Analysis

Authors: Changhe Wang
Journal: Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing
 (2022)

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## Abstract

Cold cities will cause a lot of inconvenience for the elderly to travel and exercise due to their low temperature, snowfall, freezing, and other climatic characteristics. On the basis of theoretical support, this paper firstly analyzes the physical, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of the elderly in cold cities and their impact on the design of small- and medium-sized sports venues from the physical needs of the elderly in cold cities. Secondly, based on architectural theory, combined with the research results of aging sociology, behavioral sociology, sports sociology, and other disciplines, combined with a large number of literature, examples, and practical research data, this paper summarizes the problems faced by middle-aged and elderly people in cold cities, constraints, advantages, and motivations for age-friendly design and problems in construction.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

Cold cities are characterized by low average annual temperatures, obvious seasonal changes, long winters, less sunshine, and shorter days [1]. In winter, low temperature, snow, freezing, and other climatic characteristics will cause a lot of inconvenience for the elderly to travel and exercise, and most of the outdoor fitness facilities are difficult to use, which have a greater impact on the outdoor fitness exercise of the elderly and restrictions [2–6]. Therefore, the elderly population in cold cities has a greater demand for indoor sports and fitness, especially in winter, and active participation in indoor fitness can effectively compensate for the lack of outdoor sports and create more favorable conditions for the elderly to enjoy a colorful sports life [7]. However, due to the restrictions of land, construction, and operation, the number and scale of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in cold cities are still very limited, and most of them are not open to the public or charge too high a ticket fee, which is seriously detached from the fitness life of the public, which not only reduces the comprehensive benefits of the operation of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums themselves but also creates a greater obstacle for the elderly to participate in indoor fitness [8]. This not only reduces the comprehensive benefits of the operation of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums themselves but also creates obstacles for the elderly to participate in indoor fitness. In particular, the construction and operation of most gymnasiums are still in the rough stage, and it is difficult to make fine thinking and design for the characteristics of the elderly in many aspects such as preplanning, operation and management, site layout, functional space, and external environment arrangement [9]. Coupled with the serious shortage of sports facilities and their unreasonable design, it is difficult for the elderly to obtain a suitable sports and fitness platform for themselves in winter.As a large public sports facility in cities, the elderly friendly design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums marks the gradual improvement of urban sports facilities’ construction and is also an important embodiment of sports architecture from rough design to fine design [10]. Seniors can do other recreational activities. The first is skipping rope. Rope skipping is a very effective aerobic exercise. Skipping rope can consume 400 calories in 30 minutes. It is a popular bodybuilding exercise. There are many kinds of skipping rope, some simple and complex, especially suitable for low-temperature seasons such as winter; skipping rope has the advantages of less time-consuming and high energy consumption. Followed by walking, the first benefit of walking is to exercise the waist and legs and promote the flexibility of the lower limbs. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the waist is the “house of the kidneys,” and if the waist is good, the kidneys will benefit; the kidneys govern the bones, so walking can also effectively prevent osteoporosis. Many people complain all day about being stressed and not having time to exercise. In fact, walking is precisely an “ideal antidote” to treat emotional tension and relieve stress. Jogging is also a good choice, because human muscles and ligaments will reflexively cause vasoconstriction when the temperature is low, viscosity increases, stretch decreases, and the range of motion of joints decreases, and slightly larger exercises will be easier to cause strain. So we can change the habit of fast running into jogging and at the same time change the morning run to after ten o’clock in the morning or in the afternoon. This can effectively avoid excessive consumption of the body and also avoid causing harm to the body. The elderly friendly design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in cold cities will effectively improve the conditions of the elderly population in winter sports and fitness, increase their enthusiasm for winter sports and fitness, and thus promote the forward development of elderly sports [11]. This is not only the inevitable trend of the future development of small- and medium-sized sports buildings but also an important manifestation of society giving more attention to the elderly [12].With the rapid improvement of the quality of life of the elderly in China, sports and fitness have gradually become an indispensable part of the life of the elderly. Active participation in sports and fitness activities can not only meet the needs of the elderly for daily exercise but also create more opportunities and platforms for the elderly to get in touch with society and play a role in entertaining the body and mind and improving the quality of spiritual life [13]. Therefore, the elderly friendly design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums can not only play a role in improving the lives of the elderly but also is an important symbol of the continuous development of urban sports culture, which will, to a certain extent, change the spiritual outlook of urban residents and enhance the sports culture atmosphere of the city [14].


## 2. Related Work

Small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in cold cities in China have developed rapidly in recent years and accumulated certain theoretical achievements in construction practice, but the functional orientation of gymnasiums has been focused on holding sports events and failed to truly enter the public’s physical fitness life [15]. At present, the theory and practice of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in cold cities in the direction of national fitness development are still very limited, and the research and exploration in the construction of age appropriate are rare and almost in a blank stage [16].But there are still many problems in the process of transformation of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in China to the direction of fitness for all [17]. Firstly, the function of small- and medium-sized stadiums still has the disadvantage of emphasizing professional events and training and ignoring the public fitness needs, which are detached from the public fitness needs at the beginning of construction. Secondly, the construction and design process of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums is still in a rough and ready stage [18]. Due to the lack of scientific research on the actual demand of the public in the early stage of construction, resulting in the lack of a reasonable basis for small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in terms of site layout, functional configuration, space combination, and external environment design cannot be a reasonable consideration for the use of various groups of people’s needs, the building is difficult to meet the different sports needs of various fitness groups after completion, especially difficult to take into account the elderly, youth, children, people with disabilities, and other sports requirements, which further exacerbates the degree of separation between the gymnasium and the public [19]. In addition, there are many shortcomings in the operation and management of gymnasiums, such as lack of publicity, high fees, and lack of incentives, which make it difficult to form a positive interaction with public fitness. These reasons lead to most small- and medium-sized gymnasiums being detached from the public’s sports and fitness needs and can only rely on government subsidies, lease transfers, or other kinds of activities to maintain operations, and many functional spaces in the pavilion are difficult to be used by the public after the game, resulting in a great waste of resources [20].


## 3. Psychological Characteristics

Influenced by the changes in physiological factors and social factors, the psychological characteristics of the elderly in cold cities also change accordingly. In terms of physiological factors, the aging of brain function, the decrease in the regulation ability of a neural and endocrine system, and the decrease in the level of hormones in the body, these changes will have a greater impact on the psychology of the elderly. In terms of social factors, as the social role changes from dominant to auxiliary, the living environment and content of the elderly will change significantly. After retirement, the pace of life slows down and leisure time increases. These life changes will lead to different psychological feelings of the elderly than in previous years, which in turn will cause changes in psychological characteristics (as shown in Figure1).Figure 1
Physiological characteristics and effects of the elderly.


### 3.1. Psychological Characteristics of Loneliness and Loss and Their Effects

After retirement, older people, separated from the more familiar social interpersonal relationships established at work, living a smaller life, and having more leisure time, will experience emptiness, loneliness or loss, and depression. The psychological needs such as the desire to integrate into social life and to be happy to communicate with others will become stronger and stronger. Active participation in sports and integration into collective activities can effectively reduce the loneliness and sense of loss of elderly people in cold urban areas. On the one hand, when doing physical exercise, the body metabolism is accelerated and the brain absorbs more oxygen, which can promote the elderly to gain a more positive mental state. On the other hand, participating in sports activities can also expand the scope of life of the elderly and increase their contact with other members of society, to better integrate into social activities and meet their psychological needs for a sense of value and belonging. The design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums should create more space for interaction and communication for the elderly in cold cities who are easily lonely and eager to communicate. For example, when arranging the venue, set a certain number of seats, round tables, etc. or arrange a certain scale of dining and leisure area for the elderly to stay and rest after sports and get more opportunities for interaction.


### 3.2. Psychological Characteristics of Desire for Security and Its Effects

Along with aging, elderly people in cold urban areas will cast more attention on their safety issues. In particular, declining physical functions and weakened ability to resist various diseases will increase their concern for safety issues. In addition, older people tend to be more willing to get in touch with things they are familiar with and are prone to feelings of doubt and uneasiness about new environments and things.


### 3.3. Psychological Characteristics of Keeping Privacy and Its Influence

In their old age, older people in cold urban areas will pay more attention to keeping their life private [5]. For example, some elderly people prefer to stay and rest in a relatively clean environment to avoid being disturbed too much. Or when playing sports, some elderly people prefer to stay in a quiet area to do simple activities and keep a certain distance from others.Due to the differences in physical conditions and behavioral habits from other people, elderly people in cold urban areas prefer to do some activities that are suitable for them in the process of exercise. In the research, we found that some elderly people are used to playing some group sports with their peers in a fixed environment, while some prefer to play individual sports in a relatively private space. The psychological characteristics of the elderly in cold cities to maintain relative privacy put forward higher requirements for the elderly friendly design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums. For example, in terms of functional layout, the relative independence of the elderly activity area should be maintained as much as possible to reduce the interference with other sports areas. In terms of flow organization, it should try to create independent traffic paths for the elderly and make certain special treatment for horizontal traffic and vertical traffic space according to their physical and mental characteristics. In addition, attention should be paid to the privacy design of some interaction spaces, such as arranging resting areas for the elderly in relatively quiet areas and using greenery and other plants for proper isolation. These treatments can help maintain the relative independence of the space, so as to effectively reduce the interference of other factors to the elderly.


### 3.4. Psychological Characteristics of the Pursuit of Comfort and Its Influence

Older people in cold urban areas have a higher and higher pursuit of life quality. In the objective aspect, with the gradual improvement of social welfare such as pensions, old-age pensions, medical insurance, and social security, the economic conditions of the elderly in cold urban areas have been significantly improved. Compared with before, the elderly have more sufficient economic conditions to improve their material life and spiritual life. In the subjective aspect, the physical quality of the elderly has declined and they are vulnerable to various injuries and diseases, which also makes them pay more attention to their health and safety issues. Therefore, the desire for a healthy and comfortable high quality of life is another important psychological characteristic of the elderly in cold cities.


## 3.1. Psychological Characteristics of Loneliness and Loss and Their Effects

After retirement, older people, separated from the more familiar social interpersonal relationships established at work, living a smaller life, and having more leisure time, will experience emptiness, loneliness or loss, and depression. The psychological needs such as the desire to integrate into social life and to be happy to communicate with others will become stronger and stronger. Active participation in sports and integration into collective activities can effectively reduce the loneliness and sense of loss of elderly people in cold urban areas. On the one hand, when doing physical exercise, the body metabolism is accelerated and the brain absorbs more oxygen, which can promote the elderly to gain a more positive mental state. On the other hand, participating in sports activities can also expand the scope of life of the elderly and increase their contact with other members of society, to better integrate into social activities and meet their psychological needs for a sense of value and belonging. The design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums should create more space for interaction and communication for the elderly in cold cities who are easily lonely and eager to communicate. For example, when arranging the venue, set a certain number of seats, round tables, etc. or arrange a certain scale of dining and leisure area for the elderly to stay and rest after sports and get more opportunities for interaction.


## 3.2. Psychological Characteristics of Desire for Security and Its Effects

Along with aging, elderly people in cold urban areas will cast more attention on their safety issues. In particular, declining physical functions and weakened ability to resist various diseases will increase their concern for safety issues. In addition, older people tend to be more willing to get in touch with things they are familiar with and are prone to feelings of doubt and uneasiness about new environments and things.


## 3.3. Psychological Characteristics of Keeping Privacy and Its Influence

In their old age, older people in cold urban areas will pay more attention to keeping their life private [5]. For example, some elderly people prefer to stay and rest in a relatively clean environment to avoid being disturbed too much. Or when playing sports, some elderly people prefer to stay in a quiet area to do simple activities and keep a certain distance from others.Due to the differences in physical conditions and behavioral habits from other people, elderly people in cold urban areas prefer to do some activities that are suitable for them in the process of exercise. In the research, we found that some elderly people are used to playing some group sports with their peers in a fixed environment, while some prefer to play individual sports in a relatively private space. The psychological characteristics of the elderly in cold cities to maintain relative privacy put forward higher requirements for the elderly friendly design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums. For example, in terms of functional layout, the relative independence of the elderly activity area should be maintained as much as possible to reduce the interference with other sports areas. In terms of flow organization, it should try to create independent traffic paths for the elderly and make certain special treatment for horizontal traffic and vertical traffic space according to their physical and mental characteristics. In addition, attention should be paid to the privacy design of some interaction spaces, such as arranging resting areas for the elderly in relatively quiet areas and using greenery and other plants for proper isolation. These treatments can help maintain the relative independence of the space, so as to effectively reduce the interference of other factors to the elderly.


## 3.4. Psychological Characteristics of the Pursuit of Comfort and Its Influence

Older people in cold urban areas have a higher and higher pursuit of life quality. In the objective aspect, with the gradual improvement of social welfare such as pensions, old-age pensions, medical insurance, and social security, the economic conditions of the elderly in cold urban areas have been significantly improved. Compared with before, the elderly have more sufficient economic conditions to improve their material life and spiritual life. In the subjective aspect, the physical quality of the elderly has declined and they are vulnerable to various injuries and diseases, which also makes them pay more attention to their health and safety issues. Therefore, the desire for a healthy and comfortable high quality of life is another important psychological characteristic of the elderly in cold cities.


## 4. Characteristics of Elderly People’s Behavioral Activities and Their Influence on Age-Appropriate Design

Older people in cold cities have many characteristics in terms of behavior and activities. With the improvement of economic conditions, the life needs of the elderly are increasingly diversified [6]. Since they have more leisure time, they can carry out various activities every day according to their own interests and needs, such as physical exercise, recreation and consumption, and social interaction. In the process of these activities, the elderly show obvious characteristics of agglomeration, which are like to participate in group activities and willing to integrate into the group. In addition, there are obvious regularities in the activity time and place of the elderly. Here, the following four behavioral activity characteristics of the elderly are analyzed (as shown in Figure 2).Figure 2
Psychological characteristics and effects of older adults.The characteristics of diversified needs and their effects, with the continuous improvement of living standards, the behavioral activity needs of the elderly in cold urban areas show an increasing trend of diversification. Active participation in a variety of different types of activities will help meet these different levels of needs. The daily activities of the elderly mainly include social interaction activities for social interaction, physical fitness activities for physical fitness, recreational activities for life enrichment, and work activities for value creation. In recent years, physical fitness has been playing an increasingly important role in the lives of elderly people in cold cities. Participating in a variety of sports activities can not only help the elderly to strengthen their bodies and improve their health level but also enrich their spiritual life and meet many different needs.Based on the diversified demand characteristics of the behavioral activities of the elderly in cold cities, the elderly friendly design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums should try to take into account their demands for different types of activities such as sports, recreation, rest, and interaction and take corresponding design measures to reasonably organize the functional partitions, make each functional space more adaptable, and improve its functional diversity to meet the multilevel activity demands of the elderly.


## 5. Case Analysis

This section focuses on the quantitative collation and systematic analysis of the data and information obtained from the research and discusses the constraints of elderly people’s sports and fitness in cold cities and the rules of elderly people’s sports and fitness in gymnasiums, respectively. The constraints of winter sports and fitness for the elderly mainly include natural constraints, social constraints, and their own constraints. The content and pattern of elderly people’s sports and fitness in the gymnasium mainly include the way they travel in the gymnasium, the items they participate in, the time and frequency of sports, and the satisfaction degree of the gymnasium.


### 5.1. Limitations of Winter Sports and Fitness for the Elderly

#### 5.1.1. The Limitations and Influence of Natural Factors

Winter climate is the most obvious and prominent climate characteristic of cold cities, which is characterized by long duration, low temperature, short day time, insufficient sunshine, prevailing northwest wind, serious air pollution, snow on the road, and very inconvenient travel activities. Older people will reduce the time and frequency of outdoor exercise in winter. On the one hand, cold weather conditions and serious air pollution will cause the incidence of various diseases to rise, which is not suitable for the elderly to stay and exercise outdoors for a long time. On the other hand, the large amount of snow causes the ground to be slippery, which reduces the safety of travel activities for the elderly.The results of the research questionnaire showed that three factors, such as air pollution, cold climate, and low road safety, were the most influential factors on the winter fitness of elderly people in cold cities, with the proportion of the number of voters being 48%, 32%, and 30% among 150 research respondents, followed by the lack of activity venue facilities with the proportion of voters being 23% (see Table1 and Figure 3).Table 1
Statistics of natural factors affecting elderly people’s fitness in winter.
Influencing factorsNumber of peopleProportion (%)Influencing factorsNumber of peopleProportion (%)Cold climate5032Insufficient activity space3223Poor air quality7148Poor transportation64Slippery and unsafe roads4530Other3624Figure 3
Histogram of natural influences.Restricted by the above factors, the elderly will significantly reduce their time of exercise and fitness in winter, and some will even stop fitness activities completely, which will certainly intensify the degree of disconnection between the elderly and the natural and social environment and harm their physical and mental health. Therefore, to give full play to the role of indoor sports in the fitness life of the elderly in winter, so that the elderly have more opportunities to participate in indoor fitness, is the most effective way to overcome the constraints of cold urban climatic conditions and improve the fitness life of the elderly in winter.


#### 5.1.2. Restriction and Influence of Social Factors

Of the 150 older adults surveyed, 56% reported never engaging in indoor sports, 16% and 15% reported rarely or occasionally engaging in indoor sports, respectively, and only 12% reported regularly participating in indoor sports. Only 18% of the older adults would choose to go to the gym for sports and fitness activities (see Table2 and Figures 4 and 5).Table 2
Statistics on the frequency and places of indoor fitness among the elderly.
Indoor fitness frequencyNumber of peopleProportion (%)Indoor fitness placeNumber of peopleProportion (%)Frequently1912Gymnasium2818Occasionally2115Senior activity center1812Rarely2516Community clubhouse85Never8557Own home32———Other2416Figure 4
Indoor fitness frequency statistics chart.Figure 5
Histogram of indoor fitness places.In the survey on the influencing factors of indoor exercise for seniors, 31% of the personnel thought that the fare factor would have an impact on their participation in indoor fitness exercise, 31% of the seniors said they were not used to go to indoor exercise places for activities, and 22% of the seniors thought that the air quality problem of indoor fitness places would have an impact on their exercise.We can see in Table3 and Figure 6 that two factors, more expensive tickets and unaccustomed, have a greater impact on the indoor fitness activities of the elderly. On the one hand, most elderly people have a low-income level, 50% of the elderly people in the survey have a monthly income level of 2000-3000 RMB, and 27% of the elderly people have a monthly income of less than 2000 RMB. The lower economic income determines the low level of sports consumption of the elderly. 56 percent of seniors considered indoor sports with a one-time consumption of no more than 5 yuan as their acceptable range, 21% and 17% of seniors considered a one-time consumption of 5-10 yuan and 10-20 yuan as acceptable ticket price ranges, and only 4% and 3% of seniors indicated acceptable one-time consumption ticket price ranges of 20-30 yuan and 30 yuan or more, respectively (as Table 4 and Figures 7 and 8 showed).Table 3
Statistical table of social factors affecting indoor fitness for the elderly.
Indoor fitness frequencyNumber of peopleProportion (%)Indoor fitness placeNumber of peopleProportion (%)More expensive fares4832Poor air quality3121Poor transportation85Not used to it4832Restricted activity space107No time128Few favorite programs43Few fitness places149Figure 6
Histogram of social influence factors.Table 4
Statistics of fitness consumption level and monthly income level of the elderly.
Acceptable fare rangeNumber of peopleProportion (%)Monthly income levelNumber of peopleProportion (%)Less than 5 RMB8456Less than RMB 200040275-10 RMB3020Less than 2000-3000 RMB755010-20 RMB2617Less than 3000-5000 RMB302020-30 RMB64Less than 5000-8000 RMB53More than 30 RMB43———Figure 7
Statistical chart of acceptable fare standards for the elderly.Figure 8
Statistical chart of monthly income levels of the elderly.As can be seen from Figure8, the elderly with a monthly income of 2k-3k account for the largest proportion. There is also a considerable proportion of the elderly with a monthly income of more than 6k. The second is the monthly income of 2-3k. Seniors with incomes of less than 1k are also a large group.This is a far cry from the actual charges of various small- and medium-sized gymnasiums. Among the various types of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in Harbin, most gymnasium ticket prices are concentrated in the range of 20-30 RMB/hour, and individual sports will charge more. This is an important reason why the elderly are disconnected from gymnasiums.On the other hand, the construction of indoor sports facilities in China is still very imperfect, and the number and scale of indoor sports facilities such as gymnasiums, senior activity centers, and community clubs are seriously insufficient, coupled with insufficient external publicity and lack of encouragement measures, resulting in most older people still being very unfamiliar with indoor sports and having the awareness that they are not used to and not suitable for themselves, thus having no concept and interest in participating in indoor sports at all.


## 5.1. Limitations of Winter Sports and Fitness for the Elderly

### 5.1.1. The Limitations and Influence of Natural Factors

Winter climate is the most obvious and prominent climate characteristic of cold cities, which is characterized by long duration, low temperature, short day time, insufficient sunshine, prevailing northwest wind, serious air pollution, snow on the road, and very inconvenient travel activities. Older people will reduce the time and frequency of outdoor exercise in winter. On the one hand, cold weather conditions and serious air pollution will cause the incidence of various diseases to rise, which is not suitable for the elderly to stay and exercise outdoors for a long time. On the other hand, the large amount of snow causes the ground to be slippery, which reduces the safety of travel activities for the elderly.The results of the research questionnaire showed that three factors, such as air pollution, cold climate, and low road safety, were the most influential factors on the winter fitness of elderly people in cold cities, with the proportion of the number of voters being 48%, 32%, and 30% among 150 research respondents, followed by the lack of activity venue facilities with the proportion of voters being 23% (see Table1 and Figure 3).Table 1
Statistics of natural factors affecting elderly people’s fitness in winter.
Influencing factorsNumber of peopleProportion (%)Influencing factorsNumber of peopleProportion (%)Cold climate5032Insufficient activity space3223Poor air quality7148Poor transportation64Slippery and unsafe roads4530Other3624Figure 3
Histogram of natural influences.Restricted by the above factors, the elderly will significantly reduce their time of exercise and fitness in winter, and some will even stop fitness activities completely, which will certainly intensify the degree of disconnection between the elderly and the natural and social environment and harm their physical and mental health. Therefore, to give full play to the role of indoor sports in the fitness life of the elderly in winter, so that the elderly have more opportunities to participate in indoor fitness, is the most effective way to overcome the constraints of cold urban climatic conditions and improve the fitness life of the elderly in winter.


### 5.1.2. Restriction and Influence of Social Factors

Of the 150 older adults surveyed, 56% reported never engaging in indoor sports, 16% and 15% reported rarely or occasionally engaging in indoor sports, respectively, and only 12% reported regularly participating in indoor sports. Only 18% of the older adults would choose to go to the gym for sports and fitness activities (see Table2 and Figures 4 and 5).Table 2
Statistics on the frequency and places of indoor fitness among the elderly.
Indoor fitness frequencyNumber of peopleProportion (%)Indoor fitness placeNumber of peopleProportion (%)Frequently1912Gymnasium2818Occasionally2115Senior activity center1812Rarely2516Community clubhouse85Never8557Own home32———Other2416Figure 4
Indoor fitness frequency statistics chart.Figure 5
Histogram of indoor fitness places.In the survey on the influencing factors of indoor exercise for seniors, 31% of the personnel thought that the fare factor would have an impact on their participation in indoor fitness exercise, 31% of the seniors said they were not used to go to indoor exercise places for activities, and 22% of the seniors thought that the air quality problem of indoor fitness places would have an impact on their exercise.We can see in Table3 and Figure 6 that two factors, more expensive tickets and unaccustomed, have a greater impact on the indoor fitness activities of the elderly. On the one hand, most elderly people have a low-income level, 50% of the elderly people in the survey have a monthly income level of 2000-3000 RMB, and 27% of the elderly people have a monthly income of less than 2000 RMB. The lower economic income determines the low level of sports consumption of the elderly. 56 percent of seniors considered indoor sports with a one-time consumption of no more than 5 yuan as their acceptable range, 21% and 17% of seniors considered a one-time consumption of 5-10 yuan and 10-20 yuan as acceptable ticket price ranges, and only 4% and 3% of seniors indicated acceptable one-time consumption ticket price ranges of 20-30 yuan and 30 yuan or more, respectively (as Table 4 and Figures 7 and 8 showed).Table 3
Statistical table of social factors affecting indoor fitness for the elderly.
Indoor fitness frequencyNumber of peopleProportion (%)Indoor fitness placeNumber of peopleProportion (%)More expensive fares4832Poor air quality3121Poor transportation85Not used to it4832Restricted activity space107No time128Few favorite programs43Few fitness places149Figure 6
Histogram of social influence factors.Table 4
Statistics of fitness consumption level and monthly income level of the elderly.
Acceptable fare rangeNumber of peopleProportion (%)Monthly income levelNumber of peopleProportion (%)Less than 5 RMB8456Less than RMB 200040275-10 RMB3020Less than 2000-3000 RMB755010-20 RMB2617Less than 3000-5000 RMB302020-30 RMB64Less than 5000-8000 RMB53More than 30 RMB43———Figure 7
Statistical chart of acceptable fare standards for the elderly.Figure 8
Statistical chart of monthly income levels of the elderly.As can be seen from Figure8, the elderly with a monthly income of 2k-3k account for the largest proportion. There is also a considerable proportion of the elderly with a monthly income of more than 6k. The second is the monthly income of 2-3k. Seniors with incomes of less than 1k are also a large group.This is a far cry from the actual charges of various small- and medium-sized gymnasiums. Among the various types of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in Harbin, most gymnasium ticket prices are concentrated in the range of 20-30 RMB/hour, and individual sports will charge more. This is an important reason why the elderly are disconnected from gymnasiums.On the other hand, the construction of indoor sports facilities in China is still very imperfect, and the number and scale of indoor sports facilities such as gymnasiums, senior activity centers, and community clubs are seriously insufficient, coupled with insufficient external publicity and lack of encouragement measures, resulting in most older people still being very unfamiliar with indoor sports and having the awareness that they are not used to and not suitable for themselves, thus having no concept and interest in participating in indoor sports at all.


## 5.1.1. The Limitations and Influence of Natural Factors

Winter climate is the most obvious and prominent climate characteristic of cold cities, which is characterized by long duration, low temperature, short day time, insufficient sunshine, prevailing northwest wind, serious air pollution, snow on the road, and very inconvenient travel activities. Older people will reduce the time and frequency of outdoor exercise in winter. On the one hand, cold weather conditions and serious air pollution will cause the incidence of various diseases to rise, which is not suitable for the elderly to stay and exercise outdoors for a long time. On the other hand, the large amount of snow causes the ground to be slippery, which reduces the safety of travel activities for the elderly.The results of the research questionnaire showed that three factors, such as air pollution, cold climate, and low road safety, were the most influential factors on the winter fitness of elderly people in cold cities, with the proportion of the number of voters being 48%, 32%, and 30% among 150 research respondents, followed by the lack of activity venue facilities with the proportion of voters being 23% (see Table1 and Figure 3).Table 1
Statistics of natural factors affecting elderly people’s fitness in winter.
Influencing factorsNumber of peopleProportion (%)Influencing factorsNumber of peopleProportion (%)Cold climate5032Insufficient activity space3223Poor air quality7148Poor transportation64Slippery and unsafe roads4530Other3624Figure 3
Histogram of natural influences.Restricted by the above factors, the elderly will significantly reduce their time of exercise and fitness in winter, and some will even stop fitness activities completely, which will certainly intensify the degree of disconnection between the elderly and the natural and social environment and harm their physical and mental health. Therefore, to give full play to the role of indoor sports in the fitness life of the elderly in winter, so that the elderly have more opportunities to participate in indoor fitness, is the most effective way to overcome the constraints of cold urban climatic conditions and improve the fitness life of the elderly in winter.


## 5.1.2. Restriction and Influence of Social Factors

Of the 150 older adults surveyed, 56% reported never engaging in indoor sports, 16% and 15% reported rarely or occasionally engaging in indoor sports, respectively, and only 12% reported regularly participating in indoor sports. Only 18% of the older adults would choose to go to the gym for sports and fitness activities (see Table2 and Figures 4 and 5).Table 2
Statistics on the frequency and places of indoor fitness among the elderly.
Indoor fitness frequencyNumber of peopleProportion (%)Indoor fitness placeNumber of peopleProportion (%)Frequently1912Gymnasium2818Occasionally2115Senior activity center1812Rarely2516Community clubhouse85Never8557Own home32———Other2416Figure 4
Indoor fitness frequency statistics chart.Figure 5
Histogram of indoor fitness places.In the survey on the influencing factors of indoor exercise for seniors, 31% of the personnel thought that the fare factor would have an impact on their participation in indoor fitness exercise, 31% of the seniors said they were not used to go to indoor exercise places for activities, and 22% of the seniors thought that the air quality problem of indoor fitness places would have an impact on their exercise.We can see in Table3 and Figure 6 that two factors, more expensive tickets and unaccustomed, have a greater impact on the indoor fitness activities of the elderly. On the one hand, most elderly people have a low-income level, 50% of the elderly people in the survey have a monthly income level of 2000-3000 RMB, and 27% of the elderly people have a monthly income of less than 2000 RMB. The lower economic income determines the low level of sports consumption of the elderly. 56 percent of seniors considered indoor sports with a one-time consumption of no more than 5 yuan as their acceptable range, 21% and 17% of seniors considered a one-time consumption of 5-10 yuan and 10-20 yuan as acceptable ticket price ranges, and only 4% and 3% of seniors indicated acceptable one-time consumption ticket price ranges of 20-30 yuan and 30 yuan or more, respectively (as Table 4 and Figures 7 and 8 showed).Table 3
Statistical table of social factors affecting indoor fitness for the elderly.
Indoor fitness frequencyNumber of peopleProportion (%)Indoor fitness placeNumber of peopleProportion (%)More expensive fares4832Poor air quality3121Poor transportation85Not used to it4832Restricted activity space107No time128Few favorite programs43Few fitness places149Figure 6
Histogram of social influence factors.Table 4
Statistics of fitness consumption level and monthly income level of the elderly.
Acceptable fare rangeNumber of peopleProportion (%)Monthly income levelNumber of peopleProportion (%)Less than 5 RMB8456Less than RMB 200040275-10 RMB3020Less than 2000-3000 RMB755010-20 RMB2617Less than 3000-5000 RMB302020-30 RMB64Less than 5000-8000 RMB53More than 30 RMB43———Figure 7
Statistical chart of acceptable fare standards for the elderly.Figure 8
Statistical chart of monthly income levels of the elderly.As can be seen from Figure8, the elderly with a monthly income of 2k-3k account for the largest proportion. There is also a considerable proportion of the elderly with a monthly income of more than 6k. The second is the monthly income of 2-3k. Seniors with incomes of less than 1k are also a large group.This is a far cry from the actual charges of various small- and medium-sized gymnasiums. Among the various types of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums in Harbin, most gymnasium ticket prices are concentrated in the range of 20-30 RMB/hour, and individual sports will charge more. This is an important reason why the elderly are disconnected from gymnasiums.On the other hand, the construction of indoor sports facilities in China is still very imperfect, and the number and scale of indoor sports facilities such as gymnasiums, senior activity centers, and community clubs are seriously insufficient, coupled with insufficient external publicity and lack of encouragement measures, resulting in most older people still being very unfamiliar with indoor sports and having the awareness that they are not used to and not suitable for themselves, thus having no concept and interest in participating in indoor sports at all.


## 6. Conclusion

In this paper, we analyze the physiological, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of the elderly in cold cities and their influence on the design of small- and medium-sized gymnasiums from the perspective of their physical fitness needs. On the basis of theoretical support, this paper analyzes the physical, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of the elderly in cold cities and their impact on the design of small- and medium-sized sports venues. Compared with other research results, based on architectural theory, combined with the research results of aging sociology, behavioral sociology, sports sociology, and other disciplines, this paper summarizes the problems faced by the middle-aged and elderly in cold cities in a more in-depth manner.



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*Source: 7169789-2022-08-25.xml*