People with a greater sense of purpose in life may be more likely to engage in physical activity. At the same time, physical activity can contribute to a sense of purpose in life. The present research tests these hypotheses using a cross-lagged panel model in a nationally representative, longitudinal panel of American adults (N = 14,159, M_age = 68). An increase in sense of purpose in life was associated with higher physical activity four years later, above and beyond past activity levels. Physical activity was positively associated with future levels of sense of purpose in life, controlling for prior levels of purpose in life. Results held in a second national panel from the US with a nine-year follow-up (N = 4,041, M_age = 56). The findings demonstrate a bidirectional relationship between sense of purpose in life and physical activity in large samples of middle-aged and older adults tracked over time.

生活目标感更强的人可能更有可能从事体育活动。同时，身体活动有助于增强生活目标感。本研究使用具有全国代表性的美国成年人纵向小组（N  = 14,159，M_年龄 = 68）中的交叉滞后小组模型来检验这些假设。四年后，生活目标感的增强与更高的体力活动有关，超出了过去的活动水平。身体活动与未来的生活目标感水平呈正相关，控制了之前的生活目标水平。结果在来自美国的第二个国家小组中进行了九年的随访（N  = 4,041，M_年龄 = 56）。研究结果表明，随着时间的推移，在大量中老年人样本中，生活目标感与身体活动之间存在双向关系。