A Patient – Centered Approach to Addressing Physical Activity in Older Adults: Motivational Interviewing

Regular physical activity reduces the burden of chronic diseases in older adults, but the majority of this population is relatively sedentary. Individuals considering a change in behavior, such as increasing exercise, often experience a mental state of ambivalence, which can lead to inaction. Ambivalence is resistant to traditional counseling methods used in medical settings, such as patient education. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a conversational style that has been shown to help overcome ambivalence by guiding patients to voice their personal reasons for change. Nurse practitioners are uniquely positioned to use MI with older adults to address ambivalence toward increasing physical activity.