Physical activity & ageing in ex-Servicemen

RachDr Rachel Williams, a former PhD student in HART and now one of our Associate Members, has recently had one of her articles from the doctoral study published in Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health*.  Rachel’s qualitative research explored the experiences of ex-Services personnel in relation to retirement, ageing and physical activity, employing a novel theoretical combination of figurational sociology and symbolic interactionism. Her latest article focuses upon retired servicemen’s ‘felt’ limitations of the ageing body, often in stark contrast to their former highly ‘disciplined’, active, military bodies. Despite perceived bodily limitations, many ex-service personnel still endeavoured to stay physically active. Findings highlighted the ways in which past experiences of physical activity and exercise were identified as strongly shaping current-day motivations, attitudes and behaviours.

Rach for HART*Williams, R.K., Allen-Collinson, J., Evans, A.B. and Briggs, J. (2018) ‘We may be falling apart but we still keep going’: Retired servicemen’s experiences of their ageing bodies. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health, 10 (2): 190-205 – which can be accessed here.

About Prof Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson

Professor in Sociology & Physical Culture, Director of HART, University of Lincoln.

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