Breaking Barriers: Co-Designing Physical Activity Promoting Technologies with Older Adults Living Alone

Many older adults wish to be more physically active but encounter a complex multitude of barriers that impede their efforts to maintain routines aligned with their aspirations. Despite recognized potential, current physical activity promoting technologies have been described as poorly aligned with older adults’ unique needs. In this article, we present our work following a multi-stage design process consisting of diaries and interviews with 17 inactive older adults living alone wanting to become more physically active and a follow-on co-design workshop with eight of them to envision ways of better supporting exercise engagement. From the resulting design artifacts and a thematic analysis of workshop transcripts, we provided a deeper understanding of why existing technologies are poorly aligned with older adults’ needs and values as well as how older adults weigh the benefits against the costs of using those technologies. Our findings surface potential solutions to addressing the barriers older adults encounter to remaining physically active, identifying enhancing social support as a critical first step. By revealing how older adults’ needs for physical activity support exceed what current technologies can provide, we advocate a holistic network of support across healthcare, social, and information services.