Leisure and Ageing Well

Abstract

The world's population is ageing at unprecedented rates. Given the growth of the older adult population, it is not surprising that governments and policy makers in many regions throughout the world have been turning their attention to the implications of population ageing on social and economic development. More specifically, there has been much concern about the consequences of an ageing population on health care systems and costs and an emphasis on finding ways to help older adults age well. Leisure can play an important role in the ageing well process but, to a large extent, its role in healthy ageing is often overlooked by policy makers. This paper focuses on leisure in later life, particularly as it is related to notions of healthy ageing and ageing well. It summarises what we currently know about the role of leisure in later life. Although the relationship between leisure and ageing well is complex, the existing evidence i s clear that leisure can provide meaningful opportunities for continued engagement in life -for being, becoming, and belonging (Renwick & Brown, 1996) -and is essential for ageing well. However, not all have equal access to leisure in later life, which can threaten the well-being of those who are marginalised in society. The paper also identifies some of the gaps in our understanding and concludes with a list of recommendations for future research on the role leisure can play in the ageing well process.

The benefits of and constraints to participation in seniors’ online communities

“…As numerous studies conducted in the past decades showed that involvement in leisure activities has significant impact on elders' well-being (for reviews, see Dupuis, 2008;Mannell & Snelgrove, 2012), it is reasonable to assume that E-leisure activities have a similar effect. However, the existing research on the psychological benefits of the Internet for older adults does not distinguish between E-leisure and other Internet functions (i.e.…”

Physically active leisure and the transition to retirement: the value of context

“…Scholars have documented numerous health benefits of physical activity for older adults (DiPietro 2001;Dupuis 2008). For example, participation in physical activity has been associated with improved physical functioning, social functioning, and mental health as well as reduced bodily pain, chronic illness symptoms, and risk for all-cause mortality (Balboa-Castillo et al 2011;Fogelholm 2010).…”

‘Some of these people aren’t as fit as us …’: experiencing the ageing, physically active body in cardiac rehabilitation

“…Indeed, studies adopting a Foucauldian perspective have shown how medical knowledge about cardiac risk can be used as the basis for disciplining, remaking and normalising the objectified body through measurement of physical parameters (Wheatley 2005a(Wheatley , 2005b. Participants are subject to 'confessional technologies' which require techniques of body surveillance and monitoring which tend to homogenise the ways older adults manage their exercising bodies (Wheatley 2005a, Dupuis and Alzheimer 2008, Tulle 2008a, Phoenix and Grant 2009.…”

“…In the UK, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) schemes often prescribe physical activity as a 'treatment' (Wheatley 2005a, Robertson et al 2010, which can reduce people endowed with whole bodies, sentience, feelings and personalities embedded in class, gender and culture to the management of physiological and psychological part-processes (Taylor et al 2004, Dupuis and Alzheimer 2008, Tulle 2008a, Stevenson and Higgs 2011. Indeed, studies adopting a Foucauldian perspective have shown how medical knowledge about cardiac risk can be used as the basis for disciplining, remaking and normalising the objectified body through measurement of physical parameters (Wheatley 2005a(Wheatley , 2005b.…”