As football fever sweeps through ahead of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, We Are Undefeatable https://weareundefeatable.co.uk is shining a light on the various benefits football brings for people living with long-term health conditions. Whether it’s playing at home or being part of a local team, everyone can enjoy the positive impacts of the beautiful game.
Aside from being a treasured sport, football can be a powerful tool for physical and mental well-being, whether through traditional play, football-themed home exercises, or local walking football programs. The sport can be adapted for everyone, enhancing coordination, balance, and fitness. Additionally, the social aspect of playing with a team or partner can create a sense of belonging, boosting mental well-being.
We Are Undefeatable case study, John, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012. When John was told he had Parkinson’s, one of the first things he thought was how it would affect his ability to play the sport he loved. However, after meeting James, who shares his condition, they sparked the idea to form the Northern Lights walking football club, where they relive their playing days at a gentler pace. Speaking of his passion for football, John says “for me, walking football takes me back to my best playing days, where the one thing that got me through everything was football. We set up our weekly game between the Parkinson’s guys and the stroke Recovery Team. This group has been a ray of light shining in our lives. We want to put a smile back on faces of people with Parkinson’s and remind them that there’s still a life to live.
Annie Booth took up walking football on a whim after her Parkinson’s diagnosis. Diagnosed at just 47, it came as a shock, but after coming to terms with it, Annie sought ways to boost both her physical and mental health. She had never played football before, and her main mission was to fight off the ‘apathy beast,’ a symptom of Parkinson’s. Soon after, she joined a Liverpool-based Parkinson’s support group, where they introduced her to Walking Football. Since then, she went on to become the sole female player in the England Parkinson’s Walking Football team. Now, Annie has managed to assemble the Parkinson’s Pioneers, the first-ever walking football team catering exclusively to women living with the condition…
READ MORE at source: https://www.hippocraticpost.com/mental-health/benefits-of-football-on-physical-and-mental-health-ahead-of-the-euros/
Author: The Walking Football
You create the memories; we help you relive them forever!
