Silver Michelle Pannor
J Aging Phys Act. 2021 Oct 1;29(5):828-842. doi: 10.1123/japa.2020-0270. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
Self-perceptions about aging have implications for health and well-being; however, less is known about how these perceptions influence adaptation to major life transitions. The goal of this study was to examine how high-performance athletes' perceptions about aging influenced their adaptation to athletic retirement. In-depth interviews conducted with 24 retired Olympic athletes using thematic analysis yielded three key themes: (a) perceptions about aging influenced participants' postretirement exercise habits, (b) perceptions about aging motivated participants to engage in civic activities, and (c) participants who lacked formative perceptions about aging associated their athletic retirement with their own lost sense of purpose. These findings provide evidence that perceptions about aging influence athletes' adaptation to retirement by directing their subsequent engagement in postretirement activities. Furthermore, this research highlights theoretical implications for the literature regarding embodied processes, retirement transitions, role models, and adaptation to new physical states.
对衰老的自我认知会影响健康和幸福；然而，对于这些认知如何影响对重大生活转变的适应，我们所知甚少。本研究的目的是探讨高水平运动员对衰老的认知如何影响他们对运动生涯退役的适应。通过对24名退役奥运选手进行深入访谈，并采用主题分析法，得出了三个关键主题：(a) 对衰老的认知影响了参与者退役后的锻炼习惯，(b) 对衰老的认知促使参与者参与公民活动，(c) 对衰老缺乏形成性认知的参与者将他们的运动生涯退役与自身失去目标感联系在一起。这些发现提供了证据，表明对衰老的认知通过引导运动员随后参与退役后活动，影响他们对退役的适应。此外，本研究突出了对有关具身过程、退役转变、榜样以及对新身体状态适应的文献的理论意义。
