Middle aged adults: What factors prevent their physical activity?

In addition to finishing school and finding a job, marriage and being a parnet, many other situations, which usually occur from mid to late adulthood, also create a relatively permanent change in motor behavior. These situations are when children leave home, retirement and the death of a spouse. When children leave home, many people believe that parents are now free to pursue personal interests that have been suppressed for the benefit of the children. Indeed, some parents are rediscovering physical activity. However, the rule is actually a tendency towards a less active lifestyle. The presence of children at home has a somewhat positive effect on parents, as it helps them stay active even minimally. In addition, the departure of a child is a reminder that the parents are no longer young. Our society generally expects the older adult to avoid motor activity. Retirement can have a similar effect because it is a significant change. After retirement, a period could begin that would allow for physical activity. Unfortunately, retirement often marks a significant drop in living standards, causing many problems. Retirees may also lose their social status and sense of usefulness. In addition, retirement may bring the first realization that a person has reached “old age”, which can be an emotional trauma that leads to depression and inactivity. As a result of these feelings and thoughts related to retirement, older people may not be motivated enough or able to pursue the activity that their free time allows. The death of a spouse usually causes depression and leads to a long period of mourning. Both factors contribute to the reduction of the overall level of activity. Generally, this experience occurs in late adulthood. After retirement, the loss of a spouse can have a particularly serious impact because the bond between the two partners increases as they begin to spend more time together. Therefore, at a time when individuals may find the effects of motor activity particularly beneficial, it is very likely that they will withdraw from such efforts. Source: “Human Motor Development” -A Lifespan approach (Greg Payne, Larry Isaacs) Recent Articles