Outdoor adventure, attitude, motivation and successful ageing

Abstract

The evidence is irrefutable regarding the impact of physical activity (PA) on quality of life (QoL). Specifically, outdoor PA fosters benefits regarding wellbeing, social interaction, health indices and QoL. Promoting sustainable engagement in relevant outdoor PA must focus on attraction, and the normalisation of older peoples’ participation in outdoor adventure activities. The first step in this normalising is to understand the motivations and benefits for those that do it and why?

Over four years, as part of PhD research the author has explored through participative research, perceptions and motivations of older hill walkers, sea swimmers and scuba divers in Ireland. The research outcomes highlight the need to reframe our approach to ageing and PA engagement. These adventurers are passionate, embrace ageing and challenge negative attitudes about ageing. Promoting successful ageing requires their story being told to encourage, more older people, more active, more often – outdoors.