Football is one of those sports that you sometimes have to give up as you get older. All running, kicking and pivoting places great demands on the body, especially on our balance and joints. But a new trend is helping people get back on the field or, in some cases, start playing for the first time. This is called foot football.
What is football?
Walking football is played exactly as it sounds: players can only walk casually, kick the ball around the field and try to get it into the other team’s goal, and they must always have at least one foot in contact with the ground.
The traveling soccer field is smaller than a standard-sized playing field and the goals are increasingly shorter. Each team is also smaller, with seven people playing at a time instead of 11.
The ball is also different: a size 4 “futsal” ball, which is smaller and less bouncy than regular soccer balls.
Advantages of football on foot
Although running football is a gentler form of sport, it is still full of health benefits. 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 play builds essential skills.
“You can practice your pivoting movement, anticipating and reacting to the direction of the ball. This is very helpful in maintaining and improving your balance,” says Kevin McEnroy, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Another plus: by hitting and passing the ball during the game, you maintain your ability to produce power. “As we age, if we don’t regularly play sports or do resistance training, one of the biggest things we lose is the ability to produce hard or fast force. We need that strength to be able to do something like get out of a chair and stand up, the repetitive motions of running soccer can probably help you preserve your abilities,” says McEnroy.
Staying active in a sport like soccer walking also helps protect the cartilage pads inside the knees called menisci (singular: meniscus), which are prone to tears after age 50. “By staying active, you keep the menisci healthy and less likely to fray,” McEnroy says.
The risks of football
In regular football, the greatest risks are injuries to the lower limbs, particularly the ankles and knees.
McEnroy says we don’t yet have statistics on the types of injuries people suffer from playing football on foot. His concerns for players include sprained ankles; aggravated meniscal tears; knee arthritis flare-ups; and falls resulting in fractures of the wrist, arm or elbow.
Prepare for sport
If you want to play football on foot, you will need good balance, endurance and strong muscles in your legs and core. If you haven’t exercised in a while, get your doctor’s OK, then focus on the basics of fitness: take daily walks and start a resistance training program.
If you’re already active, McEnroy recommends first practicing walking and kicking a ball on a field that might resemble a soccer field, to make sure you’re comfortable there. And start paying special attention to strengthening the quadriceps muscles of the thighs, the gluteal muscles of the buttocks and the gastrocnemius muscles of the calves. “Strong muscles are essential for injury prevention,” says McEnroy. “Start practicing running football at least six weeks before you plan to play.”
Once you play the game regularly, warm up before each match. McEnroy suggests walking around the field and playing passes with a teammate to mimic the left-right movements you’ll need in the game. Don’t forget to stretch after a game, to keep your muscles long and flexible.
Move of the Month: Squat and Overhead Throw
Stand with your feet apart. Hold a medicine ball with both hands at chest height. Bend your hips and knees and squat down. Don’t let your knees move further than your toes. Get up. As you stand up, throw the ball over your head, catch it and bring it to chest height. Repeat 10 times.
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Do you want to try it?
Running soccer is extremely popular around the world and is just beginning to take hold in the United States. Teams are already established in more than half a dozen states. You can find out more about this sport on the website American Adult Soccer Association.
Photo courtesy of Ultimate Walk Football Club