An Exploration of Adults Transitioning Into Retirements' Perspectives on Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity

Bingyan Pang; Joanne A McVeigh; Craig Thompson; Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani; Emmanual Stamatakis; Joanna C Moullin

doi:10.1002/hpja.957

An Exploration of Adults Transitioning Into Retirements' Perspectives on Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity

Health Promot J Austr. 2025 Jan;36(1):e957. doi: 10.1002/hpja.957.

Authors

Bingyan Pang¹, Joanne A McVeigh^{1

2

3}, Craig Thompson^{1

2}, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani^{1

4}, Emmanual Stamatakis⁵, Joanna C Moullin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.
² enAble Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.
³ Movement Physiology Laboratory, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
⁴ University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
⁵ University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 39776160
DOI: 10.1002/hpja.957

Abstract

Issue addressed: Australian adults transitioning into retirement aged 55-75 years (> 50%) do not meet the World Health Organization recommendation of physical activity (PA). One potential strategy to promote PA is through vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). This study aimed to investigate barriers and facilitators from adults transitioning to retirement about participation in VILPA and to identify strategies to promote and implement VILPA.

Methods: Thirty adults transitioning to retirement (mean age = 64 years) were recruited to participate in focus groups to provide their perceptions on VILPA. All participants' PAs were measured by accelerometers. A set of semi-structured questions developed from the findings of a previous scoping review was used to guide focus groups with participants. To increase awareness of PA bouts and intensity, the focus group discussions were prompted by participants' individualised accelerometer-measured PA reports. The identified barriers and facilitators were mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Intervention strategies were derived from the framework domains.

Results: Three focus groups were conducted. Participants perceived barriers to participation in VILPA stem from health constraints, insufficient awareness about VILPA, and adverse weather conditions. To promote VILPA, adults transitioning to retirement require a better understanding of PA intensities, knowledge of identifying VILPA opportunities, and monitoring and feedback for engagement. Intervention to promote VILPA should include elements of education, persuasion, incentivisation and enablement.

Conclusions: Adults transitioning to retirement perceived VILPA as feasible and convenient for increasing their overall PA. SO WHAT?: The study findings will directly inform the development of a targeted VILPA intervention with key stakeholders and an implementation plan to promote PA in adults transitioning to retirement.

Keywords: health promotion; healthy aging; mixed method; physical activity; retirement.

MeSH terms

Accelerometry
Aged
Australia
Exercise*
Female
Focus Groups*
Health Promotion / methods
Humans
Life Style
Male
Middle Aged
Retirement* / psychology

Grants and funding

Australian Government research training program