[Male environments of third age]

The present study aimed to find out what are the leisure activities for elder men in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, as there is a low participation of men in the third age groups in the city. Then, an ethnographic qualitative research was developed following a daily script of comments that encloses infrastructure of the places; activities and objects available to the individuals, functioning hours as well as behaviors, by checking the most frequent visited places this age group frequents. Thus it could be perceived that some actions frequently practiced were bocce, snooker and card games. Another evident situation was the familiar relation of the individuals with the places and the low presence of women. There is a concern about the inclusion of women on daily basis, as many men avoid some places due to lack of options that include their wives. In order to attend this demand there are dinners and dance balls. Some possible reasons for the low participation of the men in the groups observed in this study include: activities that are not of their interest; the classes are considered repetitive and not stimulant; and, the thought that while they can have a good performance in doing the activities they enjoy the most, there is no need to practice more physical exercises.