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Walking Football: A Strategy for Promoting Physical Activity Among Older...
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Walking Football: A Strategy for Promoting Physical Activity Among Older People

A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 3224

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Élvio Rúbio Gouveia

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Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira and Interactive Technologies Institute-LARSYS, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: healthy ageing; sports training; assistive technologies; physical activity; physical fitness; physical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hugo Miguel Borges Sarmento

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Guest Editor
Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF), Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3004-­504 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: football; talent identification and development; small-sided games; physical performance; match analysis; sports injuries
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hélder Manuel Arsénio Lopes

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Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Research Center in Sports Sciences, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: pedagogical innovation; interactive technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Adilson Marques

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CIPER, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1495-751 Lisbon, Portugal
2. Health Institute (ISAMB), Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1649-020 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: physical activity; health education; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andreas Ihle

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Guest Editor
1. Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, 1227 Carouge, Switzerland
2. Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, 1227 Carouge, Switzerland
Interests: lifespan; vulnerability; reserves; lifelong activity engagement; health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global increase in life expectancy among the older population has attracted significant scientific community interest, with research on the topic aiming to enhance their quality of life and promote active, healthy ageing. Physical activity (PA) is crucial and offers numerous benefits, including reducing chronic diseases, preventing cognitive decline, and fostering social interaction. Despite this, only a small fraction of older adults meet the WHO’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate PA weekly.

To encourage PA, recreational team sports initiatives, such as walking football (WF), have been adapted for older adults. WF modifies football rules to suit individuals with limited physical capabilities, making it a safe and effective strategy for promoting PA among seniors. Participants in WF programs have reported various benefits, including reduced body fat, improved cardiorespiratory fitness, enhanced muscle strength and balance, increased enjoyment, better mental health, and stronger social connections.

However, research on WF-specific parameters still requires improvement, necessitating more rigorous studies to understand and fully optimise its benefits for older adults. Therefore, in this Special Issue, we welcome papers ranging from studies with controlled interventions to evaluate the effectiveness of participation in walking football to studies characterising internal load (physiological parameters and self-perception) and external training loads during the practice.

Dr. Élvio Rúbio Gouveia
Dr. Hugo Miguel Borges Sarmento
Dr. Hélder Manuel Arsénio Lopes
Dr. Adilson Marques
Dr. Andreas Ihle
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • healthy ageing
  • physical activity
  • walking football
  • quality of life
  • health promotion
  • recreational sports
  • older adults

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 492 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation of a Walking Football Group for People with Dementia Developed in Partnership with a Premier League Club
by Marie Poole, Alison Killen and Louise Robinson
Sports 2025, 13(6), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13060172 - 30 May 2025
Viewed by 113
Abstract
Dementia-friendly walking football offers a way of helping people who are less likely to engage with traditional services to participate in physical activity and support their physical, mental and social wellbeing. This addresses a gap in the current provision of post-diagnostic dementia support [...] Read more.
Dementia-friendly walking football offers a way of helping people who are less likely to engage with traditional services to participate in physical activity and support their physical, mental and social wellbeing. This addresses a gap in the current provision of post-diagnostic dementia support in the UK. However, there is a lack of evidence around such models of service provision. Through the evaluation of a newly established dementia-friendly walking football initiative provided by a Premier League charitable foundation, we explored the social, physical and mental benefits of dementia-friendly walking football for older males from underserved communities. Using a qualitative, exploratory approach, we held focus groups with service providers and service users to understand their views and experiences of delivering and attending dementia-friendly walking football sessions. A thematic analysis of the focus groups revealed three main themes relating to the importance of football to cultural and individual identity, namely, ‘for the love of the game’, ‘team players’ and ‘a game changer’. We also highlight how a multi-disciplinary, research-based approach to the evaluation of a service and identification of service improvements can both involve and benefit people living with dementia and their families. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Walking Football: A Strategy for Promoting Physical Activity Among Older People)
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12 pages, 481 KiB  
Article
Injury Incidence in Community-Based Walking Football: A Four-Month Cohort Study of 6000+ Hours of Play
by Alfie G. Price, Bradley Sprouse, Avinash Chandran, John Hough, Philip J. Hennis, Ali Ahmed and Ian Varley
Sports 2025, 13(5), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13050150 - 19 May 2025
Viewed by 261
Abstract
Walking Football is a growing adapted sport offering a viable alternative to traditional exercise for middle-aged and older adults. While rule modifications aim to reduce injury risk, this has yet to be established. This study conducted injury surveillance in community-based Walking Football to [...] Read more.
Walking Football is a growing adapted sport offering a viable alternative to traditional exercise for middle-aged and older adults. While rule modifications aim to reduce injury risk, this has yet to be established. This study conducted injury surveillance in community-based Walking Football to determine injury incidence and characteristics in training and matches. A four-month observational cohort study remotely tracked injuries and exposure time across seven Walking Football clubs in England using a sub-elite injury surveillance framework. Injuries were classified as medical attention (requiring on-field attention without subsequent absence) or time-loss (≥1 day of participation absence). Injury incidence was calculated per 1000 h of play. Across 6364.55 h of exposure, 45 injuries were reported: 30 (66.7%) medical attention and 15 (33.3%) time-loss injuries. Injury incidence was 5.3 [1.5–11.5] per 1000 h in training (medical attention: 3.3 [0.8–7.3]; time-loss: 2.0 [0.5–4.5]) and 37.6 [8.7–83.9] per 1000 h in matches (medical attention: 28.9 [5.8–66.6]; time-loss: 8.7 [0–23.2]). Match injury incidence was significantly higher than training (rate ratio: 7.1 [1.3–31.4]). Findings suggest that injury incidence in community-based Walking Football is low, supporting its safety and potential as a sustainable physical activity strategy for middle-aged and older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Walking Football: A Strategy for Promoting Physical Activity Among Older People)
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20 pages, 664 KiB  
Article
Walking Football Programme for Elderly People: Study Protocol
by Jofre Pisà-Canyelles, María Mendoza-Muñoz, Jesús Siquier-Coll and Jorge Pérez-Gómez
Sports 2025, 13(5), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13050149 - 17 May 2025
Viewed by 330
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the effects of a Walking Football (WF) programme on physical fitness, body composition, health-related quality of life (QoL), and happiness in men and women over 60 years. WF is proposed as a safe and accessible activity to counteract [...] Read more.
This study aims to evaluate the effects of a Walking Football (WF) programme on physical fitness, body composition, health-related quality of life (QoL), and happiness in men and women over 60 years. WF is proposed as a safe and accessible activity to counteract physical inactivity and chronic conditions in ageing populations. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted with 120 participants (both sexes), assigned to either an experimental group (WF intervention) or a wait-list control group. The six-month intervention includes bi-weekly sessions with skills training, match simulations, and fitness exercises. Assessments will be performed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Primary outcome measures will be: body composition (weight, BMI, fat and lean mass), muscular strength, aerobic endurance, agility, range of motion, and subjective well-being (QoL and happiness scales). Linear mixed-effects models and ANCOVA will be used to analyse the data. It is expected that WF will lead to improvements in physical and mental health, contributing to active ageing. This study may also support WF as a tool for social inclusion and well-being in older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Walking Football: A Strategy for Promoting Physical Activity Among Older People)
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11 pages, 2896 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Including Goalkeepers on the Intensity Demands of Walking Football Practice
by Júlio A. Costa, César André Coelho, António Ferraz, João Brito, José Guilherme, André Seabra, Bruno Travassos, Hugo Folgado and Bruno Gonçalves
Sports 2024, 12(12), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12120346 - 16 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1402
Abstract
This preliminary study examined the effects of playing walking football with and without a goalkeeper (GK) on physiological, physical, technical, and perceptual variables in older men. Twenty participants (67 ± 4.7 years) engaged in two five vs. five walking football sessions, one WITH-GK [...] Read more.
This preliminary study examined the effects of playing walking football with and without a goalkeeper (GK) on physiological, physical, technical, and perceptual variables in older men. Twenty participants (67 ± 4.7 years) engaged in two five vs. five walking football sessions, one WITH-GK and one WITHOUT-GK, using a randomized crossover design. The heart rate (HR), distance covered, technical actions, perceived exercise intensity, and enjoyment were measured. The results showed a significantly higher average HR (131 bpm vs. 123 bpm, p < 0.001), %HRmax (79% vs. 74%, p < 0.001), and time in higher HR zones (>80%HRmax, p < 0.05) in the WITH-GK condition. Participants also covered more total distance in the WITH-GK condition (1123 m vs. 1083 m, p < 0.001), particularly at speeds above 4 km/h (834 m vs. 781 m, p < 0.001). Conversely, more passes were made in the WITHOUT-GK condition (20 vs. 16 passes, p < 0.001), while the WITH-GK condition showed more shots (two vs. one, p < 0.001). The perceived exercise intensity was slightly higher in the WITHOUT-GK condition (five vs. four, p = 0.01), although the enjoyment levels were similar, with a slight preference for WITHOUT-GK. Overall, playing WITHOUT-GK provides a safer, lower-intensity alternative to WITH-GK, reducing the physical and perceived strain while maintaining enjoyment. This makes WITHOUT-GK particularly suitable for older adults or individuals with health conditions, promoting participation and rehabilitation with minimized risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Walking Football: A Strategy for Promoting Physical Activity Among Older People)
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