This study investigates the relationship between leisure engagement and aging experiences in older adults. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the researchers measured engagement in physical, creative, cognitive, and community activities and examined their associations with 23 aging experiences across seven domains eight years later. Physical activity showed positive relationships with most aging domains, while creative engagement was positively linked to several domains. Cognitive and community engagement showed less consistent relationships. The findings suggest that physical and creative activities may be particularly important for mitigating age-related decline.

Jessica K. Bone, Feifei Bu, Jill K. Sonke, Daisy Fancourt