With theWorld Cup underway football lovers across the country will be following the action closely. The English national football team begin their group games against Croatia on Wednesday 17th before facing Ghana and Panama, while Scotlandare will be taking on Morocco and Brazil after an opening win over Haiti.
It’s a great reminder of just how much the game brings people together at every level, something picked up in this article from The Pensioner, which looks at how football is helping people stay active and connected well beyond the professional pitch.
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Walking into fitness
Helen Nugent hears about the many benefits of staying active in older age
Fifteen years ago, it didn’t exist. Now more than 100,000 people play walking football at clubs across England. And the sport’s World Nations Cup is now held every two years. While football fans will be glued to the FIFA World Cup this summer, there won’t be any headers or sliding tackles in walking football matches. Physical contact is prohibited, the ball must remain below head height, and running is not allowed.
Stuart Langworthy is the England manager for the over-60s walking football team and a director at the Walking Football Association. He says the rules are built for safety, including no tackling from behind, because most players are over 50, many with long-term health conditions.
“Most of it is played for fun and friendship at local clubs,” he says. “People turn up, put their money in a pot, grab a bib and play. There’s a cup of tea or coffee afterwards, which is just as important as the game. It’s the mental health and the sense of belonging to a group.”
In its current format – six-a-side on a smaller pitch, about 20 minutes each way – walking football is played in more than 80 countries. It was invented by John Croot in 2011. “John Croot was a director for Chesterfield Football Club [he is currently CEO],” Langworthy explains. “His older members in the community went to him and said they wanted to carry on playing a version of football, and they came up with walking football.”
Today, there’s a multitude of walking football England teams – over-40s, 50s and 60s for women, and over-50s, 60s, 65s, 70s, 75s and 80s for men. There is also a Parkinson’s England team, as well as a Kicking Cancer team, for men and women.
Langworthy, a retired teacher, is a double World Nations Cup winner. “The over-60s England team won the World Nations Cup last year and in 2023. We have the European Championships in November this year and the next World Nations Cup the following year.” Langworthy’s passion for the sport is clear, as is his gratitude for trips to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Rwanda and Brazil. “Sometimes you have to remind yourself how lucky we are to still be playing the incredible game at our age,” he says. “Fifteen years ago it didn’t exist.”
Pace of change
Other walking sports have sprung up too – rugby, netball, cricket, tennis and hockey. It’s not surprising older people want to continue to play the sport they love, albeit at a slower pace. Just witness the demand for activity in later life with u3a, one of the UK’s largest membership organisations.
With more than 400,000 members, u3a offers groups and activities for people in retirement or semi-retirement. This includes a wide range of sports, from walking football, table tennis and yachting to netball, archery and laughter yoga. A u3a spokesperson says: “The benefits of exercise are obviously physical, but mentally the benefits are off the scale. A lot of people have been widowed or they’re divorced and they’ve moved to an area on their own. With u3a, they get a social life and a group of friends they can tap into when they need to.”
A report by u3a in 2024, Learn to Live, said social isolation and loneliness have become increasingly widespread among older people, shortening lives and harming mental and physical health.
James Hilton understands the importance of exercise and wellbeing as people age. He founded Jim’s Gym, an online gym and community for over-55s, offering live online classes for a monthly fee of £12.99. At present, a wide variety of classes include seated fitness and pilates.
Jim’s Gym is mainly aimed at older people who know they should be doing something to keep fit and healthy but don’t know where to start.
Hilton explains how classes are tailored to the over-55s. “The most powerful thing is helping people build confidence in what they’re able to do. That’s really important. So, the classes have varying degrees of intensity levels to suit all members. In a lot of my classes, I do seated options. But it’s also about putting emphasis on getting people to take part and do what they can.
“The most important thing about keeping active is trying to work out why it’s important to the individual. This might be enjoying as much time as they can with their grandchild or pursuing their passion for gardening. If you can stay active, the health benefits are a knock-on effect.”
Glenys Adkinson, a member of Jim’s Gym, recently celebrated her 80th birthday. “It’s important for me to stay fit and healthy to maintain my independence and keep up with my interests, which include walking. Doing James’s selection and variety of classes means I’m at the front of walking groups, my stamina has improved, and I feel stronger and fitter.”
Ivan Baxter is also aware of the importance of staying fit. At 86, he leads hikes for two walking groups in Northern Ireland. One of his favourite walks is a six mile route in Crawfordsburn Country Park, County Down, which takes in a waterfall and the shoreline among other things.
“You get withdrawal symptoms if you can’t get out,” he says. “Apart from the exercise, you have the social aspect. Normally we go for a meal or a coffee afterwards, or we bring our own lunches and have a chat. People talk to each other when they’re walking. It’s important you don’t get isolated in your own home.”
Health benefits
NHS guidelines suggest adults over 65 should aim to be physically active every day, completing at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity for those already active.
If running rather than walking is more appealing, ease in gently with a slow jog. Many people use lamp posts as a guide, jogging between two, then walking between two, and slowly increasing the number. Tina Chantrey, running coach and fitness editor of women’s Running magazine, highlights the many benefits of running as you age. “They include improving bone density, which can decline as you age, helping to protect yourself from fractures. You will also be boosting your cardiovascular [heart and blood vessel] health. If you start to run regularly, you may find you start to lose weight, too.
Running and strength work can also improve your mobility and balance, which reduces the risk of falls. “As important are the mental health benefits: exercise may boost your brain function and improve your sleep. And getting outside to run may massively impact your sense of wellness, reducing anxiety.”
Back on the football pitch, 63-year-old David Hodgson says walking football makes him feel 19 again. Hodgson retired from work “after a bout of bowel cancer”. He’d heard of walking football, searched the web for local groups, and now plays for the Whitehaven Strollers.
“It’s great fun,” he says. “The spin-offs are making new friends and physical and mental fitness, but more importantly, being in a group who can talk about being old. On the pitch, we can forget our ailments or sorrows and be 19 again.”