Capitalizing on a “Huge Resource”: Successful Aging and Physically Active Leisure Perspectives from Older Males

Role Models of Aging among Older Men: Strategies for Facilitating Change and Implications for Health Promotion

“…Nevertheless, a key consideration in our findings and that of Jopp et al’s [ 13 ] is that, while biomedical criteria were most frequently discussed in both studies, many other characteristics of aging success were also mentioned, such as attitudes toward life, meaning in life, and resilience. Our previous work also supports this notion that biomedically aging success tends to be important to many older adults, but many also value additional, alternative criteria in their personal aging experiences, such as solitude and passive pursuits [ 18 , 33 ]. Moreover, by not overly relying on the medicalized aspect of exemplars of aging success, there is opportunity for fewer psychological and emotional challenges when the inevitable biomedical processes associated with aging manifest [ 20 ].…”

“…From a health promotion standpoint, it makes sense to endorse role model profiles that are not too rigidly based on traditionally perceived masculine ideals of success in terms of elite athleticism. Previous findings from our work [ 9 , 18 , 78 ] and that of others (e.g., [ 79 ]) suggests a disparity between societal masculine norms, such as self-reliance, strength, and stoicism, and what older men actually prefer in their leisure, such as the men in the current study who discussed role models that provide emotional and social support. This outcome reveals that alternative avenues of expressing oneself through sport, exercise, or leisure, which may emphasize companionship and enjoyment over independence and competition, for example, could resonate with more men and inspire change among older men.…”

“…That is, a group who is typically less likely to seek help for their health and tend to be hard-to-reach in terms of involvement in formal public health promotion and disease prevention initiatives, for possible reasons related to masculine ideals of independence, solitude and/or stoicism, especially as they age (see [ 9 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]). A greater understanding of gender-sensitive health promotion strategies is necessary for all genders, yet there is very little research in this area focused exclusively on men aged 75 years and over [ 9 , 18 ].…”

“…Correspondingly, Masters athletes (who compete in sport at an older age) are commonly regarded in exercise sciences and health promotion discourses as exemplars or role models of successful aging [ 28 ], in a societal context where fitness and health have now become an essential part of an aging identity [ 19 , 21 , 29 ]. However, in reality, older adults, including older Masters athletes, tend to hold diverse perspectives and beliefs regarding what constitutes SA to them [ 28 , 30 , 31 , 32 ], and the extent to which physical activity may facilitate personal SA criteria varies greatly [ 18 , 28 , 33 ].…”

Examining the Health Outcomes and Happiness Levels that Result from Engaging in Physical Recreation: A Study on University Students

“…Research has highlighted numerous benefits of participating in recreation activities (Hammer and Sauter, 2013); using recreation time efficiently through physical activities provides many physiological, mental and social benefits to individuals. Deneau et al (2019) and Isenstark and Ebata (2019) stated that the most obvious benefit of participating in these types of activities is the many positive effects it can have on various aspects of life. The main benefits are on the human body; slowing of the ageing process, improvement of physical appearance, and increasing quality of life (Bangsbo et al, 2019).…”