If they walk, can it still be soccer?
European football (soccer here in the US of A) is an amazingly running-intense sport.
Consider that a typical football/soccer game lasts for 90 minutes – but can extend longer if there are play stoppages.
A regulation football pitch/soccer field ranges from 110 to 120 yards long and is 70–80 yards wide.
By comparison, a football field is 100 yards long, a basketball court, 94 feet long.
Add it all up and it means that in a regular 1.5 hour football/soccer match the 22 players (11 per team) are running up and down, up and down a field that’s longer than a football field, without the breaks for first down, change from offense to defense, and the other interruptions that provide a respite from running, running, running.
No wonder Miura "King Kazu" Kazuyoshi, at age 56, is the oldest men’s professional footballer today. He’s barely in Age-defying Athletes age territory. But all that running for years and years will potentially age a man or woman – kicking (ha) them well beyond the age status they might conventionally enjoy in the Age-defying Athletes Project (ADAP).
Human ingenuity tackles (ha) all that running
Human ingenuity in the invention of sports knows no bounds. Who would have imagined, for instance, that the utilitarian wheel could become a bicycle (or, for that matter, a roulette wheel)? Who could have taken time from fighting battles to see the parallels in “peaceful” back-and-forth games such as rugby, football, and basketball?
Of course, many sports have passed deservedly into obscurity, so we shall never know the thrill of balance board handball or the glories of bumper car polo.
But, given human ingenuity and the inevitability of demographics, it was to be expected that someone would come up with an alternative to the intense running game: enter walking soccer
Whether or not walking soccer (or walking football, per British nomenclature) deserves obscurity, thrill, or glory remains to be seen. But this new game – reportedly “invented” in 2011 – sizes up as promising for Age-defying Athletes.
As the name implies, walking soccer is played like the traditional sport. But players may only walk - no running. One foot must remain on the ground at all times. Walk to pass, walk to score, walk to defend, walk even when not ball handling.
Taking a cue from the downsized tennis court on which pickleball is executed, walking soccer is played on a smaller pitch. The ball is also smaller than a traditional one. Goals are shorter and more compact than those in the conventional game, too.
No wonder there are only seven competitors per team.
Walking or walk soccer (also known as small-sided soccer) is very popular in the UK, perhaps not surprisingly, given that country’s enthusiasm for teams such as Manchester United.
Some reports put the number of Brit participants between 60,000-100,000, making up about 1000 clubs in the UK.
Benefits
Walk soccer promises to be kinder to the lower extremities, making it ideal for men and women in later life – whether or not they ever played the “regular” game.
There are numerous additional benefits to walk soccer, according to Harvard Health Publishing: “It's a great way to socialize, get your daily steps in, stay active, and exercise at a speed that's comfortable for your body. And playing reinforces essential skills.”
This article explains much about walking football, including the fact that apparently teams can be co-ed.
That’s walking soccer/football.
Soccer research update
While on the topic of football/soccer, here’s a peek at some recent research findings:
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Bottom line: Recreational football delivers fitness benefits to older adults.
In this controlled study, thirteen males, aged 61–73 years old undertook a twice-weekly, 12-week health intervention in which they played recreational football.
They were matched with a control group of thirteen males, aged 62–78 years who maintained their typical exercise habits during the intervention period.
“The results of this study suggest that such an intervention results in significant improvement in functional movement performance that is reflective of lower body muscular endurance, agility and aerobic endurance performance.”
These results were demonstrated by increased intervention group improvements in the 30 second “sit to stand” test, the 8 foot “get-up-and-go” speed test, and the 6 minute “walk test” that assesses aerobic capacity and endurance.
“The results of the present study also support the suggestions that small-sided football can improve health-related variables in older adults.”
In other words, recreational walk soccer may also enhance functional movement in older adults. (Note that the intervention, however, was hard-running soccer.)
Additionally, from that paper is this fascinating commentary about sports known and loved by ADAP members:
“In older adult groups, habitual physical activity tends to be characterised by recreational activities such as walking and golf, which have a low-force demand. [emphasis added]
“Such activity may not provide sufficient overload to develop muscle strength, and thus functional benefit arising from typical recreational activity in … older adult groups may be blunted.
“We would argue there may be better methods to enhance functional performance and muscle strength in older adults…”
And, coming back to walk football for a moment, the paper authors add that “Likewise, research reporting the results from walking football intervention studies have suggested, similarly, that it may not be sufficiently force demanding to result in significant health benefit.
“Given that recreational football allows running and running generates significantly greater force than walking in older adults, it seems logical to suggest that the physical demands of recreational football for older adults are sufficient to improve performance in functional tasks.”
In summary, walking, golf, and walk soccer don’t overload the body enough for significant muscle development. Doesn’t mean they are not useful, just that they are not ideal for muscular improvement.
Food for thought..
And here’s another vote in favor of traditional football/soccer…
PLOS One
Bottom line: Long-term soccer training positively impacted elderly untrained men.
Twenty-seven healthy elderly male subjects ranging in age from 63–74 years were randomly assigned to a soccer training group, a resistance training group, or an inactive control group.
“In summary, long-term soccer training positively impacted the skeletal muscle anti-oxidative potential in elderly untrained men with little or no prior experience with soccer training.”
Additionally, soccer training favorably altered glucose control in the initial part of the training period.
It also helped training group participants maintain lean body mass throughout the intervention.
This research also noted improvements in upper body strength. Over the year of the study, soccer/football training appeared to positively increase upper body lean mass, an interesting finding considering the lower body emphasis of the traditional game.
Maybe it’s all that head passing?
WIIFY?
Goals are important.
What are yours? An increase in muscle mass? A relaxing round of golf (now, that’s an oxymoron if ever there was one)? Time with friends?
The harder the training, the more significant the physical results. But hard training comes with its own cost in terms of time, effort, injury, and, probably, hard cold cash.
And, of course, there are plenty of ways to achieve your aims besides the ones noted here.
If endurance and muscle mass are on your horizon, a weight training regimen might be just the ticket.
Perhaps you just seek a sport that’s somewhat demanding, but mostly relaxing. Swimming, bicycling, hiking…all are great solo or in groups.
And ditto those sports for time with friends – toss in tennis, squash, bowling, and you are all set.
Think about what’s important to you and how much you are willing to invest.
And if none of these resonate with you, go out and invent your own sport. The world awaits your human ingenuity!