TY - JOUR

T1 - Walking football as sustainable exercise for older adults

T2 - a pilot investigation

AU - Reddy, Peter

AU - Dias, Irundika

AU - Holland, Carol

AU - Campbell, Niyah

AU - Nagar, Iaysha

AU - Connolly, Luke

AU - Krustrup, Peter

AU - Hubball, Harry

N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Journal of Sports Science on 19/03/2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17461391.2017.1298671

PY - 2017/5/28

Y1 - 2017/5/28

N2 - The health benefits of playing football and the importance of exercise and social contact for healthy ageing are well established, but few older adults in the UK take enough exercise. Football is popular, flexible in format and draws players into engrossing, effortful and social exercise, but the physical demands of play at full speed may make it unsustainable for some older adults. Restricted to walking pace, will play still be engaging? Will health benefits be retained? Will physical demands remain manageable? This pilot study aims to investigate: (1) the experience of older adults playing walking football every week, is it sustainable and rewarding, (2) the intensity and locomotor pattern of walking football, (3) the scale and nature of walking football health benefits and (4) possible cognitive benefits of playing walking football through measures of processing speed, selective and divided attention and updating and inhibition components of executive function. ‘Walking football’ and ‘waiting list’ groups were compared before and after 12 weeks of one-hour per week football. Walking football was found to be engaging, sustainable for older adults and moderately intensive; however, selective health and cognitive benefits were not found from this brief intervention. Highlights Walking football is a lower impact but authentic form of football that enables older players to extend their active participation. Walking football is enjoyable and moderately demanding and may be a sustainable form of exercise for older adults. Health and cognitive benefits to playing walking football were not found.

AB - The health benefits of playing football and the importance of exercise and social contact for healthy ageing are well established, but few older adults in the UK take enough exercise. Football is popular, flexible in format and draws players into engrossing, effortful and social exercise, but the physical demands of play at full speed may make it unsustainable for some older adults. Restricted to walking pace, will play still be engaging? Will health benefits be retained? Will physical demands remain manageable? This pilot study aims to investigate: (1) the experience of older adults playing walking football every week, is it sustainable and rewarding, (2) the intensity and locomotor pattern of walking football, (3) the scale and nature of walking football health benefits and (4) possible cognitive benefits of playing walking football through measures of processing speed, selective and divided attention and updating and inhibition components of executive function. ‘Walking football’ and ‘waiting list’ groups were compared before and after 12 weeks of one-hour per week football. Walking football was found to be engaging, sustainable for older adults and moderately intensive; however, selective health and cognitive benefits were not found from this brief intervention. Highlights Walking football is a lower impact but authentic form of football that enables older players to extend their active participation. Walking football is enjoyable and moderately demanding and may be a sustainable form of exercise for older adults. Health and cognitive benefits to playing walking football were not found.

KW - Ageing

KW - cognition

KW - exercise

KW - health

KW - team sport

U2 - 10.1080/17461391.2017.1298671

DO - 10.1080/17461391.2017.1298671

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28316258

AN - SCOPUS:85015657000

VL - 17

SP - 638

EP - 645

JO - European Journal of Sport Science

JF - European Journal of Sport Science

SN - 1746-1391

IS - 5

ER -