Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” —Anonymous

Given the health benefits of regular physical activity, we might have to ask why two out of three (60%) Americans are not active at recommended levels. There are barriers that keep Americans from being, or becoming, regularly physically active. Understanding common barriers to physical activity and creating strategies to overcome them may help you make physical activity part of your daily life.

Environmental Barriers

Social environments such as school, work, family and friends can significantly influence an individual’s level of physical activity. However, characteristics of our communities such as the accessibility and location of parks, trails, sidewalks, and recreational centers as well as street design, density of housing, and availability of public transit may play and even greater role in promoting or discouraging an individual or family’s level of physical activity. There are also significant environmental barriers from water and air pollution to crime and dangerous automobile traffic.

To address this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has initiated the ACES: Active Community Environments Initiative project to promote and support the awareness and development of places where people of all ages and abilities can easily enjoy walking, bicycling, and other forms of recreation.

There are many opportunities within our environment that support physical activities from parks, trails, and sidewalks to recreation and fitness centers. Even malls provide opportunities for fitness walking. Understanding environmental opportunities and barriers that we face in our pursuit for a healthy lifestyle may provide some of the knowledge necessary to promote healthy living. This information may also provide ideas for advocacy and civic participation.

For more information on the Active Community Environments Initiative and how you can support a positive environment for physical activity in your community, please visit ACES: Active Community Environments Initiative.

Personal Barriers

Aside from the many technological advances and conveniences that have made our lives easier and less active, many personal variables, including physiological, behavioral, and psychological factors, may affect our plans to become more physically active. In fact, the 10 most common reasons adults cite for not adopting more physically active lifestyles are (Sallis and Hovell, 1990; Sallis et al., 1992)

• Do not have enough time to exercise
• Find it inconvenient to exercise
• Lack self-motivation
• Do not find exercise enjoyable
• Find exercise boring
• Lack confidence in their ability to be physically active (low self-efficacy)
• Fear being injured or have been injured recently
• Lack self-management skills, such as the ability to set personal goals, monitor progress, or reward progress toward such goals
• Lack encouragement, support, or companionship from family and friends, and
• Do not have parks, sidewalks, bicycle trails, or safe and pleasant walking paths convenient to their homes or offices.

How can I figure out which barriers affect me most?

The Barriers to Being Active Quiz (PDF–101K) can help you identify the types of physical activity barriers that are undermining your ability to make regular physical activity and integral part of your life. The quiz calculates a score in each of seven barrier categories. Once you’ve taken the quiz and identified which barriers affect you the most, look at the table below for suggestions on how to overcome them.

Content in the “Personal Barriers” section was taken from Promoting Physical Activity: A Guide for Community Action (USDHHS, 1999).