As a 55 yr old woman, unfit, unhealthy and football novice it might have seemed an odd choice to join a walking football team. It wasnt on my wish list in life, but a facebook post calling for new members caught my eye, and I was intrigued.
Having got to the age where creaky joints are a daily occurrence I was looking for a way to improve fitness and overall health. I never played football as a child so a new experience whilst getting fit was a plus for me too.
I tentively turned up on a sunday morning and was immediately included. The warm friendly welcome has been ongoing throughout the couple of months I’ve been involved. Team members have patiently and encouragingly shared playing tips on and off the playing pitch. This all helps enormously when learning something new.
I’m not going to lie…..the first week was exhausting and I was a big red sweaty mess, exhausted and my legs ached for days. I still ache after training but I’ve seen huge improvement in fitness and healthy attitude in a short time My skill level, both on the ball and the stratgey of playing has improved. (I was starting from a very low point!). I’m calling my improvements the ‘path of Pele’!
There hasn’t been a week of training where I’ve not laughed and I now cant think of a better way to kick off a Sunday morning. My advice to anyone thinking they might be interested is just turn up and give it a go….nothing to lose and a whole lot of benefits to gain in health, fitness, meeting new people and fun.
Cheers
Zoe