EXPERIENCES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN LATER LIFE: Making Sense of Embodiment, Negotiating Practicalities, and the Construction of Identities in Rural Spaces (original) (raw)

Gerontologists have promoted positive representations of ageing to challenge stereotypes of degeneration and decline, in order to change social practices and to encourage wellbeing . Subsequently, a range of 'active ageing' policy frameworks, in which physical activity has been a key component, have been promoted (see British Heart Foundation, 2007a;. However, instead of promoting wellbeing in older age, the positive / successful ageing discourse has created, by default, binary subject positions which most older people largely embody: the "good", fit, slim, third ager and the "bad", sedentary, overweight, fourth ager. This is partly due to the unproblematic assumption that people are able, have the resources, and want to be physically active in later life . This thesis explores the experiences of physical activity amongst older people in rural West Sussex, examining the factors that affect their ability to be physically active, their preferences for physical activities and the reasons for their choices. A narrative inquiry was the chosen research design, triangulating focus groups, narrative interviews, activity diaries and re-interviews, using visual elicitation. Findings indicate that a number of corporeal, socio-cultural and discursive factors affect older people's ability to be physically active in rural West Sussex. Furthermore, this thesis makes a number of social policy recommendations, including the importance of promoting socially-centred physical activity, and tailoring health and wellbeing social policy in later life to the local area. Finally, the theoretical framework contributes to Frank"s (1991) theory of the body, by introducing a spatial component to understand corporeal identity.