Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Warwick questioned more than 14,000 older adults and found a connection between their daily routines, physical and mental health and a sense of purpose in life.
This mysterious sense tends to decline with age but, according to the new research, published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine in April, regular exercising helps develop and maintain a stronger sense of purpose in life.
For the research, participants had to rank their agreement with various statements like “My daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant” or “I have a good sense of direction and purpose in life”.
Their answers confirmed a direct connection between declining physical activity and a declining sense of purpose. At the same time, those adults who remain active with age often find their sense of purpose increasing.
The lead researcher, Ayse Yemiscigil, says that the results make sense: “Exercise routines organise our lives, giving us plans to look forward to and social communities to be a part of. Not to mention the feeling that we get from having done something meaningful and worthwhile with our precious and scarce resource, time.”
Interestingly enough, the study found that the opposite order is also possible – those adults who maintained a stronger purpose of life with age, ended up working out more often and more regularly. That’s probably because purposeful people find it easier to commit to activities with long-term benefits, such as exercising and prioritising their health.
