NAC OldStars see participation as enrichment of daily

NAC OldStars see participation as enrichment of daily

In 2016, NAC Social in partnership with PLUK! Physiotherapy and WIJ / Zorg voor Elkaar to offer Walking Football for people over 60. Where once started with 12 participants, NAC OldStars now has 175 participants who are active at ten different football clubs in Breda and its surroundings. An important partner of the project is PLUK! Physiotherapy. Last year, in collaboration with Avans Hogeschool, they conducted a study into the effects of participating in NAC OldStars. This yielded great results.

The NAC OldStars project is a combination of Walking Football and social activities. Walking Football is an adapted form of football where no running is allowed and physical contact is forbidden. Participants train weekly at one of the clubs and once a month friendly matches are played between them. Besides the sporting aspect, the social aspect is also very important within NAC OldStars. Before and after training, there is room for a cup of coffee in the canteen and various social activities are organised throughout the season. These of course include an Evening NAC.

NAC OldStars aims to increase the independence of the elderly and expand their social network. By participating in NAC OldStars, the over-sixties work on their fitness and stay (socially) active. In order to be able to do this responsibly, from the start of NAC OldStars, PLUK! Physiotherapy. With locations in Heusdenhout & Brabantpark, IJpelaar, Princenhage, Haagse Beemden and Bavel, the practice is a trusted name in the region. Besides remedying physical complaints, PLUK! has another core value: encouraging people to exercise with each other, so that they are less vulnerable, while also building a social network. “We are very keen to put our expertise we have built up in sport at the service of not only youthful athletes but also the elderly. They should still be able to exercise responsibly at an older age,” said Frans van der Brugge of PLUK! Physiotherapy.

Effect measurement participation NAC OldStars To investigate whether the NAC OldStars become fitter and whether participation leads to other (health) gains, PLUK! physiotherapy sought cooperation with Avans University of Applied Sciences. With the “Active Ageing” lectureship, they created a survey based on Machteld Huber’s Positive Health Model. The survey was conducted among 73 NAC OldStars. The survey yielded great results.

For instance, 76% of the participants indicated that they felt physically fitter as a result of participating in NAC OldStars. Exercise helps you feel more energetic and increases your resistance. In addition, exercise is good for your muscles and improves your balance.

Besides the positive physical effects of participating in NAC OldStars, the social aspects are also very important. 79.2% of participants indicate that they have gained more social contacts through NAC OldStars. In addition, 86.3% of participants consider NAC OldStars to enrich their daily lives. This result aligns nicely with the objectives of the NAC OldStars project.