Abstract
Retirement is not always associated with increased physical activity. We examined the inter-relationships between two physical activity self-perceptions—identity and possible selves and physical activity in 548 new retirees. The aims were to understand why retirement coalesces with increased physical activity for some but not all retirees and inform future interventions. Data were collected via online questionnaire. Identity and possible selves were related to physical activity. Moreover, we found positive associations between possible selves focused on physical activity and physical activity identity. Our findings on self-perceptions represent an important first step toward designing relevant physical activity interventions for retirees.