The notion of wellbeing first appeared in preventive policies on ageing during the second half of the twentieth century, firstly on an international level and then in France on a national level. It was progressively structured around three fundamental elements: social participation, health, safety. A corpus of scientific knowledge was concomitantly established highlighting recommendations concerning preventive ageing, healthy ageing or active ageing. Using the contextual links established internationally and nationally between physical activity and wellbeing of individuals, this study shows how the heterogeneity and uncertainty of scientific studies on ageing leave room for a simple causal link between doing physical activities and wellbeing, whereas literature on the subject is more careful. Finally, knowledge leads to the creation of a set of usable, practical directives along with norms and a portrayal of successful ageing thus forming a shared frame of reference based on (physical) activity and individual empowerment