Understanding the Lived Experience of Age Discrimination against Active Older Adults in sports places of Tehran City

Age discrimination includes all kinds of actions, judgments/evaluations, methods, institutional structures and conditions that lead to inappropriate treatment of people according to their age. The aim of this study was to understand the lived experience of age discrimination against active older adults in sports places in Tehran. This study was conducted with a qualitative method and through a phenomenological strategy. Its participants were active older adults with the age of 60 and over, who had the experience of at least one year of physical activity in sports places and entered the interview process in a purposeful manner and according to the study criteria. The number of participants was determined to be 19 while conducting semi-structured interviews based on the rule of theoretical saturation. The results contained six main themes including, mood swings, institutionalized fear and sensitivity, proactive lifestyle change, age-sports stereotypes of old age, revision of spending leisure time and weakening parameters of social communication. Considering the results obtained and the relatively unpleasant effects of the phenomenon of age discrimination against the elderly in sports places, the significant point is the effect on the older adults’ lifestyle to stay away from this it, including learning to use digital technology and its helpful effects on performing physical activity.