Moving stories: Understanding the role of physical activity on experiences and perceptions of (self-)ageing

This research aims to examine older adults experiences of sport and physical activity, and to understand how physically active older adults are perceived by others.The project is divided into two stages. Stage one involves gathering experiences of ageing and physical activity from 40 adults (60 years+) recruited from a range of indoor and outdoor physical activity groups. Data will be collected using in-depth interviews and photography, and will be represented in the form of a DVD.The second stage will involve a total of 24 focus groups with young, midlife and older adults (12 groups on two separate occasions). The first focus group meeting will explore the participants perceptions of (self-)ageing. The second will involve viewing the DVD as a means to elicit discussion regarding physical activity in older age, and expectations of ageing bodies. Multiple forms of analysis will be used with the data to generate in-depth understanding about the impact of physical activity on experiences and perceptions of (self-)ageing. This will enable the value of sport and physical activity to be captured in a more complete and nuanced way. In addition, the information gleaned will assist in promoting healthy ageing and improving perceptions of the ageing process.