Attitudes towards exercise and sports: Sex and age differences, and changes with endurance training

Abstract

Abstract Kenyon's semantic differential inventory was used to determine the attitudes towards physical activity (ATPA) of exercise volunteers aged 60 years and older. The most positive attitudes were towards physical activity characterized as an aesthetic experience, a means to health and fitness, a social experience and a catharsis. Less positive attitudes were toward activity as the pursuit of vertigo and as an ascetic experience; a negative attitude was held toward activity as games of chance. Male subjects valued the aesthetic experience, health and fitness and release of tension less than females. Relative to previous studies of high school students, the elderly placed more value on the aesthetic experience, health and fitness and catharsis (females only), and less value on the pursuit of vertigo. Kenyon's ATPA scores bore no relationship to (a) reported participation in physical activity, (b) ‘passive’ participation, (c) diary records of activity, or (d) measurements of maximum oxygen uptake. Fourte...