Walking football in Portugal adds life to years

Portugal is exploring new ways to use sports to make people's lives more fulfilling and healthier. Walking football teams empower older adults to join a game that increases physical activity levels, protects from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and creates a vital community bringing together different generations.

"We all meet again, we greet each other, we get on together, we enjoy each other's company and then, at the end, sometimes we go for lunch. All these moments are great for socializing and taking part in something," says José, one of the players at a walking football training session run by the Benfica Foundation.

José joined the team in 2016, the year the project started, to improve his health and soon realized that the experience goes far beyond building strength and endurance. A wealth of scientific evidence supports the multiple health benefits of regular physical activity. It protects people from many NCDs, reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

WHO recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity per week for all adults, and walking football is a great way to keep the body fit, while having fun.

For Fernanda, who has played in the team for more than 6 years now, physical activity helps to control her diabetes - but the mental health benefits of the game are just as important. "My mental health improved. I don't think of things that worry me. They disappear," she says.

Walking football has a profound impact on well-being. Participants often report reduced stress levels, improved mood and basically just feel younger. The social connections forged on the pitch provide a vital support network, helping older adults to find new friends and stay connected with their families.

Inclusive and safe

At the heart of this initiative is the Benfica Foundation, whose walking football team has become a model for inclusive and accessible physical activity. By adapting the sport for older adults, and bringing male and female players into one team, the programme offers a pathway to improved health and social connection for vulnerable social groups.

"In walking football you cannot run, only walk. Tackling and close physical contact is restricted as well. This modification makes this game a safer option than traditional football, while keeping all the main benefits of increased physical activity. It makes the game attractive and accessible to people of all age groups and all fitness levels," says Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Regional Adviser for Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at WHO/Europe.

Portugal's commitment to promoting walking football is a testament to its recognition of the sport's potential to contribute to public health goals. By investing in initiatives that support physical activity, policy-makers can help reduce health-care costs, enhance the economy and bring about a healthier and more resilient future for all people in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Universal appeal

As the world grapples with the challenges of an aging population, walking football offers a promising model for promoting healthy and active aging. By making physical activity accessible, enjoyable and socially rewarding, this initiative has the power to transform lives and communities.

"Walking football is excellent for people who are older and less active," says Fernanda. "They can meet new people, do exercise and even travel. I have a friend in Angola. I told him I played walking football, and he said, 'Fernanda, tell me all about it so I can see if I can get a team together here.'"

The universal appeal of walking football has the potential to inspire similar initiatives around the WHO European Region and beyond.

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