Strategies for physical activity maintenance in African American women.

Objective: To examine whether African American women who were exercise maintainers reported the same barriers to and benefits from exercise as currently inactive women and to describe maintainers' strategies for exercise maintenance.

Methods: Semistructured qualitative interviews.

Results: Ten women were classified as exercise maintainers and 9 as relapsers. Both groups reported similar benefits from and barriers to exercise. Maintainers reported strategies they used to sustain their exercise programs: wanting to act as a role model, seeking out social support, and setting goals.

Conclusions: Programs that address barriers to exercise may not be successful unless coupled with facilitators that promote maintenance.