Introduction:

Good physical and psychosocial conditions are determinants for the health of the older adult, which, when impaired, can reduce purpose and life satisfaction. Aim: To compare purpose and life satisfaction in older adults who do and do not practice physical exercise, based on the age group, and gender.

Methods:

Sixty older adults from Maringá, Paraná, Brazil, both practicing and not practicing physical exercise, participated in the study and responded to the Purpose in Life Scale and the Life Satisfaction Scale. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney tests, and Spearman’s correlation (p<0.05).

Results:

Those who practiced physical exercise had higher scores in purpose and life satisfaction compared to those who did not practice physical exercise, Older adults between 60 and 69 years old (Md=41.0) showed a higher purpose in life compared to those between 70 and 79 years old (Md=29.0) and those 80 years or older (Md=30.0). Significant (p<0.05) and moderate correlations were found for older adults who practiced physical exercise between life satisfaction and age (r=-0.54) and purpose in life (r=0.68).

Conclusion:

Age and the practice of exercise can be considered intervening factors in the purpose and life satisfaction of older adults.

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