Active and Healthy Ageing through Sport

Sport is a form of physical activity which provides an excellent opportunity to be active in an enjoyable way. In addition to personal enjoyment, regular physical activity also improves physical and mental health, which has the potential to improve overall quality of life. Furthermore, club based or team based sport participation has been associated with better social health, particularly due to the social nature of sport participation. Despite the benefits of sport, participation decreases
with age. Given Australia’s rapidly ageing population, it is important to understand the reasons for this decline and to develop strategies to keep people active through sport throughout the lifespan.

The overall aim of this report is to provide knowledge about sport participation by adults as they age. For the purpose of this report, the age of 50+ years has been used and will be referred to as ’older adults’. The specific aims of this report are to provide:

1. Knowledge about sport participation by older adults
2. Knowledge about the benefits of and barriers to sport participation in older adults
3. Knowledge about opportunities, strategies and potential modifications to increase sport participation by older adults