Health benefits

The thing about walking football is that the health benefits are almost a side-effect. People come for the football and the friendship. The lower blood pressure is just what they get on the way out.

Studies of walking football participants show measurable improvements across cardiovascular health, mental wellbeing, and social connection. Particularly for men over 60, who are statistically the hardest demographic to reach with conventional exercise programmes.

We're not a clinic. But we know what we've seen, and the research backs it up.

Lower blood pressure

Regular walking football has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by an average of 9 mmHg over 12 weeks. Comparable to many prescribed medications.

Source: BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2018

Reduced isolation

1 in 3 men over 65 in the UK report feeling lonely most days. Team sport is one of the few interventions shown to reliably move that needle.

Source: Age UK, 2023

Mental wellbeing

Walking football participants report significantly lower rates of low mood and improved sleep within six weeks of starting. The combination of exercise, social contact, and shared purpose is unusually potent.

Source: Loughborough University, 2020

Joint mobility

Low-impact lateral movement helps maintain hip and knee mobility without the wear-and-tear of running sports. Especially valuable post-injury or post-surgery.

Source: NHS Move More programme guidance

Sense of purpose

Retirement is a significant risk factor for cognitive and mental decline. Belonging to a team, with games, fixtures, and people who notice if you're not there, provides exactly the kind of structure that helps.

See if it's right for you