MENTAL HEALTH

OVERVIEW

As an athlete you know the mental game is just as vital as the physical one. That doesn’t change as you get older. If anything, your mental strength and preparation become the keys to your aging success.

WHAT YOU THINK MATTERS

When it comes to aging, you become what you think.

Internalization of aging (the official term is “stereotype embodiment theory”; Silver, 2021) happens to all of us. This is when we form unconscious stereotypes based on our exposure, our family, role models, society, culture, socioeconomic status, and a host of other factors. Not all stereotypes that we have are of bad things but they all IMPACT how we think about and perceive getting older (1,2).  

We form these perceptions at a pretty young age and they will likely change as we get older and gain life experience. The stereotypes that we believe (unconsciously or not) become how we see growing older. If they skew negative, we can fall into negative “self-directed ageism.” People who have a more negative view of ageing  were shown to have higher predicted illnesses, lower health status, and lower life expectancy (1).

The long and short of it is: if you have negative ideas about getting older, you are more likely to have a harder time as you age (1,2).  

What to do: 

  • Be aware of the stereotypes you carry. Challenge your own thinking and perceptions. 

  • Be aware of the impact your stereotypes have on the older people you interact with and how you treat them. 

  • Think about what you want your life to look like as you age and focus on the positives. 

  • And finally, be accepting of change (1).

RETIREMENT & IDENTITY

You put in the hours. You have the fitness. You have the skills. You have earned the title of “athlete.” Two questions: Do you perceive yourself more as an athlete or an exerciser? And how much of what you think of yourself is tied to your athletic ability and sport? 

It has been shown that people who tend to think of themselves more as exercisers rather than athletes, have a higher chance of staying active after retirement from their sport (3). Athletes who have a lot of their personal identity tied up in their sport may have a harder time with retirement, as this can be seen as a loss of who they are, loss of scheduled physical activity, and loss of social outlets (2).  

Tips to help make this switch: Focus on the benefits of exercise and movement. This can include short-term perks of feeling good after a workout, and the  long-term health benefits like stronger bones. Find your intrinsic (internal) motivation for exercise rather than just to play your sport (3).

It may be years before you retire from your primary sport but thinking ahead pays off. Athletes that don’t think about life after retirement tend to have a harder time coping and staying active (2).

REFERENCES

  1. Rothermund, K., & de Paula Couto, M. C Clara. P. (2024). Age stereotypes: Dimensions, origins, and consequences. Current Opinion in Psychology, 55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101747 

  2. Silver, M. P. (2021). Adaptation to Athletic Retirement and Perceptions About Aging: A Qualitative Study of Retired Olympic Athletes. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 29, 828-842. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2020-0270 

  3. Reifsteck, E. J., Gill, D. L., & Labban, J. D. (2016). “Athletes” and “Exercisers”: Understanding Identity, Motivation, and Physical Activity Participation in Former College Athletes. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 5(1), 25-38. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/spy0000046