23 Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 2005, 13, 23-33 © 2005, Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. Lees is with the Cancer Prevention Research Center, and Clark and Newman, the Dept. of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881. Nigg is with the Dept. of Public Health Science and Epidemiology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822. Barriers to Exercise Behavior Among Older Adults: A Focus-Group Study Faith D. Lees, Phillip G. Clark, Claudio R. Nigg, and Phillip Newman Longer life expectancy, rapid population growth, and low exercise-participation rates of adults 65 and older justify the need for better understanding of older adults’ exercise behavior. The objectives of this focus-group study were to determine barriers to the exercise behavior of older adults. Six focus groups, three with exercisers and three with nonexercisers, were conducted at various sites throughout Rhode Island. The majority (n = 57) of the 66 individuals who participated were women, and all stated that they were 65 and older. Results from the focus-group data identifed 13 barriers to exercise behavior. The most signifcant barriers mentioned by nonexercisers were fear of falling, inertia, and negative affect. Exercisers identifed inertia, time constraints, and physical ailments as being the most signifcant barriers to exercise. Implications from these focus-group data can be useful in the development of exercise interven- tions for older adults, which could increase exercise participation. Key Words: fear of falling, health promotion, self-effcacy Adults 65 years old and over currently make up 12% of the U.S. popula- tion, and they are the largest and fastest growing segment of our population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 1999). It is estimated that the percentage of adults 65 and older will increase to 20%, and the number of individuals aged 85 and older will more than double to 8.5 million, by the year 2030 (USDHHS). Reported rates of illness and physical disability increase sharply among the “oldest old,” those individuals 85 and over (USDHHS). Physical activity limitations generally increase with age, and women are more likely than men to have physical limitations across the entire age range of adults 65 and older (USDHHS). Essential activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, eating, and dressing, in addition to instrumental activities (IADLs) such as cooking and cleaning, also appear to become more diffcult with increased age. These factors have a tremendous impact on the health status and independence of the older adult population.