Navigating the Maze of Routine Disruption: Exploring How Older Adults Living Alone Navigate Barriers to Establishing and Maintaining Physical Activity Habits

Older adults, especially those living alone, are less likely to meet recommended physical activity levels than other age groups. However, current physical activity promoting technologies have seen low uptake among older adults, likely due to poor attention to their unique needs. To understand the perspectives of older adults living alone towards physical activity, including their motivations for and the challenges encountered in maintaining routines, we conducted a qualitative study with 17 participants. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and diaries, we reveal their diverse motivations for engaging in physical activity while also detailing how their intentions and routines are habitually disrupted by multidimensional and interrelated barriers, including changing personal and environmental circumstances, lack of stimulus to maintaining motivation, and limited access to resources. We suggest future PA promoting technologies to leverage social interaction to develop commitments and employ a holistic design approach to addressing the interplay between the barriers.