Sport can ease the transition into retirement

New York, June 3
If you are planning to give up work soon, engaging in some sport activities would help you better adjust with the changes that come with retirement, says a new study.

"We know that sports can enhance the development of children and adolescents, but the dynamic that comes with sport may be beneficial to the development and well-being of adults as they age," said David Walsh, assistant professor at University of Houston in the US.

"Retirement can set us on a positive or negative trajectory, depending on how we adapt. Sport can play a positive role in adults' continued development," Walsh said.

The study involved 250 individuals in a US retirement community. "Transitions brought tangible and intangible losses to participants, particularly to their sense of self," Walsh added.

His study found that when sport was applied to these challenging transitions, particularly during retirement, the adjustments were smoother. Participants felt as if they belonged to a community, were escaping perceived chaos or given more control in their lives.

"Sport was found to be a resource-rich system they sought out because of what they thought it could do for them--bring self-confidence, social interaction and physical activity. This can be applied to the transition of retirement," Walsh said.

The findings are scheduled to be presented at the 2015 Conference of the North American Society for Sport Management in Ottawa, Canada.