Correlates of exercise maintenance among people with mobility impairments

Purpose: This paper describes correlates of exercise maintenance in a sampl e of adults with mobility impairments. Understanding processes that promote exercise is important if one is to increase access to exercise for people with disabilities. Method: A model of variables predicting 6-month maintenance of regular exer cise was examined, using data from a self-administered questionnaire given to a community sample of 113 adults with long-term mobility impairments. De scriptive analyses and logistic regression were used. Results: Logistic regression showed that people with lower motivational bar riers and higher exercise self-efficacy had a higher probability of exercis e maintenance. Demographic characteristics and disability-related and envir onmental barriers did not differentiate between those who did and did not c ontinue to exercise. Conclusions: Long-term sustained exercise by people with mobility impairmen ts might be promoted by efforts to increase motivation to exercise: involve health professionals as one source of support and expand opportunity by in creasing access to appropriate sites and programming.