Promoção do Walking Football na Região Autónoma da Madeira: Um estudo sobre a Intensidade da Atividade Física em Adultos Idosos

Abstract

This report is part of the curricular internship for the Master's Degree in Physical Activity, Exercise and Health, specialising in Physical Activity and Exercise in the Third Age, at the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto. The report entitled 'Promotion of Walking Football in Autonomous Region of Madeira: A Study on the Physical Activity Intensity in Older Adults' was carried out in two institutions: the University of Madeira (UMa), in the Pedagogy and Optimisation of Sports Performance Laboratory, and the Association of Refereeing Technicians of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ATARAM). The aim of the report is to understand and characterise the intensity of the Walking Football (WF) game in older adults, comparing individuals who participate in federated and non-federated sport, as well as individuals with and without chronic illness. Internal and external load variables were used. During the internship, various activities were carried out, including the promotion and dissemination of WF at regional level and abroad, the creation of a website and manual of good WF practices, the collection and analysis of data for research and the preparation of WF meetings. The study sample included 87 people, 50 male and 35 female. Their ages range from 50 to 73. Data was collected during WF matches organised by the Madeira Football Association, covering three matches for each individual. The instruments used were an ActiGraph accelerometer, model wGTX-BT, and a Polar H10 cardiofrequency meter. The results revealed that the predominant intensity of WF is light to moderate. The percentage of time spent on MVPA shows that those with a history of federated sport spend more time on MVPA compared to those without federated practice. Also, between the two groups mentioned above, it was found that WF practitioners with a history of previous sports practice engage in higher intensity activity compared to those without a history of sports practice. Between people with chronic illnesses and those without, the average percentage of time spent on MVPA was higher in the group without chronic illnesses. Finally, the same result was observed for the average number of steps between people with chronic illnesses and those without chronic illnesses.