I think the point about motivation is a crucial one.  Especially as people
age, there is surely a decresed motivation for physical activity.  Yet if
you look at hunter-gatherer societies, you see people in their 70s that are
still physically active for hours each day.   If you just recommend to
older people, "stay active", it's difficult to see how this will have any
effect.

I'm not sure of the answer, but if there were more social support it would
probably help.  For example, a person might be more likely to hike with
friends than go alone.

One other thought: I wonder if there is a certain threshold of physical
activity that must be done every day just for psychological purposes.  What
I'm thinking is that as you become inactive, your motivation decreases, and
then you become even more inactive and this continues into a downward
spiral.  Any thoughts?

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