Physical Activity and Meaning in Life as Existential Subject of Female Retirees in Their 60s

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the significance of physical activity in women's quest for meaning in life post-retirement.BR Method: The study participants were three women in their early 60s who retired during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.BR Results: First, they experienced the impermanence of life, depression, learned helplessness, and anxiety after retirement. Although these symptoms are commonplace, these women were in a state of utter desperation to find new meanings in their lives. Second, they found their answer through physical activity by taking nature walks. For them, nature gave them peace, freedom, and introspection. Third, they maintained their physical activities as a way to assist their adult children. Finally, their physical activities were not about self-actualization, but about self-transcendence.BR Conclusion: These findings show how physical activities can provide female retirees with a new lease on life. It also provides sufficient insight into the way physical activity makes life meaningful. This study is expected to support women's mental health after retirement.