Batman Brian

Parkinson’s Walking Football, a blog by Brian Carson

29 April 2022

A slight change of topic for this blog. As mentioned previously I participate in various sports and exercise classes to help me manage my Parkinson’s Disease. In recent months I have been fortunate in being able to participate in a walking football programme designed specifically for People with Parkinson’s (PWP).

Background

Late last year Glasgow Life ran a pilot programme in partnership with Parkinson’s Active to determine the suitability of walking football for PWP.

The pilot ran from October through to December 2021 for 10 weeks and was based mainly in the indoor arena of the Toryglen Regional Football Centre in Glasgow.

The first session was supported by volunteers from Pollok Utd who had become West of Scotland over 65’s champion the previous day.

From the outset the aim of Glasgow Life was to provide a safe and fun space for players to enjoy walking football. As a participant in the pilot I can personally confirm this was achieved and in my view exceeded.

The lead coach for this pilot undertook Parkinson’s UK Physical Activity and Exercise Training. This is a programme designed to inform coaches, trainers,  activity providers etc, who deliver exercise and coaching to PWP, about Parkinson’s Disease, and what they need to know when coaching and leading activities

The pilot was supported by Specialist Physiotherapists who provided input to ensure the content was safe and focussed on the type of activity PWP need.

The Pilot

These sessions were attended by both male and female PWP and previous knowledge or experience of playing football was not a requirement to participate. This is still the case and the current participants are mixed in both gender and previous experience of playing football, in my view this adds to the experience.

At the beginning of the pilot each participant was given a sit to stand test and completed a wellbeing questionnaire. This was needed to set a baseline for each participant that could then be used at the end of the 10 weeks to assess progress against. The tests were repeated at the end of the pilot and the group demonstrated an overall improvement of 33% in sit to stand tests.

The activity did not just consist of turning up and playing walking football. It was an exercise session based around walking football but included many varied activities that worked on confidence, flexibility, team working, communication and cognitive engagement. This made the whole activity suitable for all participants irrespective of whether or not they had played football previously. or what movement restrictions they had as result of their Parkinson’s.

Throughout the pilot the coaches changed their approach considerably as the participants developed, adapting the exercise activities to challenge and stretch us always making sure we were comfortable and safe and most important, having fun.

Where Next?

The pilot was a great success in developing an exercise class based on walking football that proved to be very popular.

So popular in fact that a Parkinson’s session has now been included in the Glasgow Life weekly Walking Football programme.

Why Me

As mentioned previously I have adopted the mantra “exercise is medicine” and consider exercise vital in helping me to manage my Parkinson’s Disease. I participate in many activities, get some similar and some different things from each one. I see the walking football sessions as a key part of my weekly activity routine.

What does a session look like?

Sessions are varied weekly to keep them fresh and challenge the group to continue to develop and improve. Yes we all have Parkinson’s, yes we all have a different mix of symptoms of varied severity, but the coaches know and understand this and have the knowledge and skills to stretch  and develop us in a number of ways all the while keeping it safe and fun.

Sessions include a dynamic warm up, and then various drills passing and moving, cognitive dynamic exercises, team games including adapted netball as well as football, followed by a warm down and a social cuppa. We are encouraged to work as a team, be vocal (see below), support each other, be spacially aware, and anticipate and react to situations. I find these sessions invigorating and tiring and enjoy every minute.

Parkinson’s Symptoms

I have previously mentioned some PD non motor symptoms, depression, anxiety and apathy. One I have not mentioned before is reduction in voice volume, sometimes accompanied by reduction in voice clarity as control of facial muscles can be impacted, often referred to as masking, the medical term is hypomimia. I personally have had numerous sessions with a speech therapist who was a great help in providing support and through various exercises has improved my voice clarity and volume. This has subsequently improved my confidence back to where I was pre diagnosis. During my working life I would happily address large numbers of people without giving it a second thought. I lost the confidence to do this when Parkinson’s impacted my voice volume and clarity as I became very self conscious. However after speech therapy improved my speech I gave a short presentation to almost 90 health professionals and exercise providers at a Parkinson’s Active event over Zoom.

Some PWP participate in singing activities to help with voice volume and clarity and this can be very beneficial for both the voice and mood. Note: the ability to hold a tune is not a requirement for PD singing sessions, anyone can participate, although if you heard my singing there may be a special case made for excluding me for these type of sessions.

My preference instead to exercise my voice, in addition to continuing with the prescribed exercises privately, is to shout at my team mates during drills and games at walking football sessions, where we are encouraged to be vocal as part of the teamwork ethos that goes along with these activities.   I can’t sing but I can shout  at my maximum volume “MAN ON”, “WIDE RIGHT”, “RED BIBS WHERE ARE YOU” etc etc, and very occasionally “GOAL” and I do mean very occasionally. 😂

Who delivers these sessions 

Lead Coach – Drew, runs the sessions, passionate about football keeps us smiling

Coach – Ricky, always thinking and expanding drills to push us harder and keep it fresh.

Coach – Russell, has a great football brain sometimes wasted on us 😂

Coach – Peter, the goalie and adhoc yoga 🧘‍♀️ instructor,  

Coach – Jim, the Scottish Maradona

What have I got from the programme?

I get many things from participating in these sessions. Increased fitness and stamina, better balance and coordination, cognitive challenge, improved spacial awareness, encouragement to work as part of a team, and the confidence to make myself heard during games.

I used to run as part of my exercise regime before I was diagnosed with PD. As my condition developed, issues with my balance, my walking gait and more importantly my confidence caused me to give up running and take to walking and cycling instead.

As a direct result of this programme I have been running again, not great distances as before but the short sprints and movements that help me enjoy and be effective during these activities.

I participated in a Dementia Walking Football Festival in November to support this great cause.

 I was also invited to play for Glasgow Life during a Football Glasgow Festival of Football in December.

If you had told me three months before I would be involved so actively in these sessions I would have scoffed.

To date at least one other player from the PD pilot has also been involved in non PD weekly Walking Football sessions and I am sure more will follow.

Summary 

This is a great programme that has certainly been beneficial to all involved. Not only has it improved my physical fitness, movement and balance but it has helped my mental health and confidence, and it is great to see the others involved getting similar rewards.

in common with all the other activities I am involved in the PWP are fantastic, we have great fun and have made many new friends. 

Similarly the staff and volunteers who deliver this activity continually demonstrate their expert knowledge and ability, and excel in their compassion and commitment in giving their best for the group and getting the best from the group.

If you have Parkinson’s and can get to one of these sessions I would encourage you to do so. As stated earlier you do not need to have previous football experience. You will meet and work with a great crowd, get some exercise that has been specifically tailored for PWP, and have some fun. You may even be pleasantly surprised by what you are capable of achieving in these sessions. I believe other Parkinson’s Walking Football sessions are being developed around Scotland.

Brian Carson