“Fitness” more motivating than health? Reconfiguration of daily practices during the transition to retirement
La « forme » plus motivante que la santé ? Reconfiguration des pratiques quotidiennes lors du passage à la retraite
Abstract
Food, physical activity/sedentariness and sleep are three dimensions that contribute, among others, to the development of health problems or the fitness of individuals. They are generally studied separately, whereas they are partly interdependent and often evolve in parallel. This qualitative research conducted among 30 retirees who had been retired for less than one year, from all socio-economic conditions and from three French regions, looks at reconfiguration in daily practices during the transition to retirement. The results show how the perception of fitness is more positive than the dimension of health. For our respondents, the feeling of fitness is homogeneous, despite a socially differentiated state of health. The actions taken to be “fit’ vary according to social category and are generally focused on movement to the detriment of eating and sleeping.