Читать книгу Deporte e Inclusión Social. Herramientas para el trabajo con grupos humanos. Sport and Social Inclusion: Tools for working with human groups - Dolores Limón Domínguez - Страница 36

Senior citizens have traditionally exercised, i.e. walking, skiing or cycling, or indoor gymnastics, group gymnastics or swimming (Ruuskanen, 2019). The actual sport has been practiced only by veteran or adult athletes (Masters sport) Many sports have been considered unsuitable for seniors (Tiihonen, 2012; Julin, 2019ab).

However, in the recreational football project, it has been thought that even seniors like the ball game, which is also Finland’s largest sport, i.e. football. However, the starting point in recreational football is to include those who do not have any previous football hobby or experience behind them. Thus, social inclusion affects both those who have played football in the past but for whom it has not been organized, but also those who like to play, even if they do not have a football background.

In addition to recreational football, walking football has been started in Finland, both of which expand the opportunities for exercise and physical activity to older groups in a completely new way. Lowering the participation threshold for both physical and social functioning has resulted in a workable solution for social inclusion.