STRESS AND EXERCISE AMONG THE JAPANESE ELDERLY

This study seeks to replicate and extend research on the stress proces s by examining the relationships among stress, social support, physica l exercise, and depressive symptoms with data provided by a recent nat ionwide survey of older adults in Japan. The findings reveal that more frequent physical exercise is associated with less psychological dist ress. Moreover, the data suggest that some (but not all) types of stre ssors tend to diminish the frequency of physical activity. Finally, an d perhaps most important, the results reveal that social support tends to promote more frequent exercise. This can occur in two ways. First, more emotional support was related to better exercise habits. In addi tion, negative interaction was also associated with more frequent exer cise, suggesting that informal social sanctions can foster positive he alth behaviors.