Theory in activity, aging, and resilience

The present study investigated the relationship between physical activity and resilience among a sample of 32 community dwelling women ranging in age from 55 to 97. Using a grounded theory analysis of interview data, two core categories identified as the physical self and the resilient self were identified. The core categories were discussed within the context of the life-course. Discussions of the physical self were framed within the context of energy and the ability to summon this energy to complete activities of daily living. The physical self goes through two major stages. The first stage, boundless resource, begins in early childhood and lasts until midlife. The second stage of the physical self, bounded resource begins in midlife and continues until end of life. Physical activity is considered to be a life-long protective factor and a major component of healthy aging. Discussions of the resilient self were framed within the context of concepts that contribute to healthy aging over the life-course. Concepts include community support, social support, spirituality, and significant turning points and each of the concepts plays a critical role throughout life although the significance of each concept tends to increase with time. The individual looks to both the physical self and the resilient self to fulfill a personalized definition of healthy aging. It is this increasingly inter-dependent relationship between the physical self and the resilient self that forms the process of preserving self. Preserving self exists over the life-course but it is not until mid-life when the individual begins to recognize the significance of this inter-relationship.