British Columbia ? Older people would rather exercise alone than be surrounded by a bunch of youthful hard bodies in Spandex, suggests a study that examined how group fitness appeals to people of different ages.

The results are a cautionary note about providing the right exercise setting for senior citizens, said University of British Columbia researcher Mark Beauchamp.

“A growing body of evidence suggests that a far greater proportion of people actually prefer to exercise alone with some instruction,” rather than in a class, his study found.

Beauchamp, who works in UBC’s School of Human Kinetics, said researchers found that people of all ages generally prefer to exercise with people their own age – or they may opt to go it alone. He noted that older people may be intimidated by “the Spandex-clad ideal” seen in some exercise environments.

The study is to be published in the April issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.