“So, Should I Walk Today or Not?” Understanding Concerns and Queries on Health and Fitness Among Indian Older Adults

This paper investigates concerns and queries of Indian older adults about their health and fitness (H&F), experts’ views on the matter, gaps in existing technologies, and implications for designing effective technology-based solutions in this space. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 Indian older adults and consulted with five experts in the health and fitness domain. Our study revealed that older adults have several concerns and queries about their H&F and often lack clarity, holding misconceptions about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The information they receive about H&F can sometimes be contradictory, inconsistent, out-of-context, or generic. Additionally, while older adults are motivated to maintain their health, they struggle to adhere to a routine. Personalized guidance and ongoing support are necessary to help older adults overcome these challenges. Our research identified many design opportunities under five key themes—personalization, localization, social interactions, information dissemination, accessibility and usability—that are crucial to consider when designing technology-based solutions for Indian older adults in this space. Finally, we developed a theoretical framework based on established adherence models and study findings, proposing strategies to promote adherence to H&F routines among Indian older adults.