Leisure-time physical activity and affective experience in middle-aged and older women

ABSTRACT

Many women do not engage in regular physical activity and women’s physical activity declines over the life cycle. The present study examines the association of regular leisure-time physical activity with affective experience among 881 middle-aged and older women from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. In multiple linear regression and structural equation analyses, a higher level of leisure-time physical activity was related to more high-arousal and low-arousal positive affect and less high-arousal and low-arousal negative affect. Appreciating positive affective responses associated with physical activity can help to motivate women to engage in regular leisure-time physical activity.

KEYWORDS:

• Women
• midlife
• aging
• leisure-time physical activity
• affect

Acknowledgments

The data for this study were obtained from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). The data are drawn from the core sample of MIDUS2: Ryff, C., Almeida, D. M., Ayanian, J., Carr, D. S., Cleary, P. D., Coe, C., Davidson, R., Krueger, R. F., Lachman, M. E., Marks, N. F., Mroczek, D. K., Seeman, T., Seltzer, M. M., Singer, B. H., Sloan, R. P., Tun, P. A., Weinstein, M., and Williams, D. (2006). Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS2), 2004-2006 (ICPSR04652-v1). doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04652.v7

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.