Age
Modified sports for older individuals may offer activities that have lower physiological loads and more social elements.
An increasing number of sports are also offering modified sports for people who are older, such as walking football, netball, or basketball.
These sports generally offer a slower pace (e.g., running is not allowed) with a lower physiological load. They may also include more social elements and a focus on teaching the fundamental skills of the sport and designed for all ability levels.
While these sports may also be attractive to individuals with or returning from injuries, or who have not previously played the sport, the primary audience is generally mature-aged participants, although the specific age may depend on the individual sport (e.g., walking basketball for people over 50 years (ACT) or Masters rugby league for people over 35 years).
Some anecdotal evidence also suggests that sports activities modified for older people may also be good for cross-age participants (e.g., children, adults, and mature-aged people playing together) as it reduces some of the physical differences and allows for more equal participation.
Resources and reading
- Walking soccer: A systematic review of a modified sport, opens in a new tab, Rekesh Corepal, Jia Yu Zhang, Sanya Grover, et.al., Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Volume 30(12), pp.2282-2290, (December 2020). We identified nine peer-reviewed studies (with 117 participants). Most studies included small sample sizes and interventions with short duration. Walking soccer is an emerging modified sport that is popular across the United Kingdom (UK), with its reach extending to other countries. Limited published evidence exists for walking soccer, despite is global popularity. For the studies identified, generalizability was limited to predominately older men from the UK. Based on preliminary findings, walking soccer has the potential to confer health benefits and build social connections.
- Experiences Influencing Walking Football Initiation in 55- to 75-Year-Old Adults: A Qualitative Study, opens in a new tab, Rachel Cholerton, Jeff Breckon, Joanne Butt, et.al., Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, Volume 28(4), pp.521-533, (2020). Adults aged 55 and older are least likely to play sport. Despite research suggesting this population experiences physical and psychological benefits when doing so, limited research focuses on older adult sport initiation, especially in “adapted sports” such as walking football. The aim of this study was to explore initiation experiences of walking football players between 55 and 75 years old. Semi-structured interviews took place with 17 older adults playing walking football for 6 months minimum (Mage = 64). Inductive analysis revealed six higher order themes representing preinitiation influences. Eight further higher order themes were found, relating to positive and negative experiences during initiation. Fundamental influences preinitiation included previous sporting experiences and values and perceptions. Emergent positive experiences during initiation included mental development and social connections. Findings highlight important individual and social influences when initiating walking football, which should be considered when encouraging 55- to 75-year-old adults to play adapted sport. Policy and practice recommendations are discussed.
- Why just exercise if you can play? Interest in a modified sports program to enhance physical activity among primary care patients, opens in a new tab, Christopher Sciamanna, Andrew Mowen, Jennifer Kraschnewski, et.al., Preventive Medicine Reports, Volume 8, pp.273-278, (December 2017). This survey was designed to determine the interest of primary care patients in participating in program designed to maximize enjoyment. Primary care patients (n=540) in Central Pennsylvania reported their interest in participating in a “a regular fitness program where people your own age played games, such as softball, floor hockey and soccer, that were made to be easier to play and less competitive.” Mean age was 58.4 years. More than one-third, including 59.6% of those under age 50, were interested in the modified sports fitness program. After adjusting for confounders, patients under age 40 were 5.9 times as interested (v. age > 70) and non-white patients were 3.4 times interested. Female patients and those with hypertension, high cholesterol or obesity were equally interested. A fitness program that consists of modified sports may be of interest to most primary care patients under age 50. Patients' initial interest appears high enough to warrant further development and testing.
Access to resources Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar, opens in a new tab.
