None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to evaluate the impact of Walking Football (WF) intervention on Physical Fitness, Cognitive Function, Autonomy, and Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. The WF intervention will be a 12-week, low-impact physical activity program. Participants will attend two 60-minute weekly sessions (24 sessions in total), consisting of a warm-up, WF-based training, and a cool-down. Sessions will be supervised by two Sports Science professionals and a physician, with participants wearing accelerometers and heart rate monitors for safety monitoring. A waitlist control group will continue with usual care for 12 weeks, with evaluations at the same time points, and then will have the opportunity to participate in WF after Week 16.
Interventions
The Walking Football (WF) intervention is a low-impact and accessible physical activity program designed to be safe for older adults and individuals with physical limitations, as it eliminates running and physical contact. The program will last 12 consecutive weeks and include two 60-minute sessions per week, for a total of 24 sessions.
The training routine will be based on a multidimensional, multi-stage approach, structured into three main parts: (a) a minute warm-up (~10 minutes) involving s
The Walking Football (WF) intervention is a low-impact and accessible physical activity program designed to be safe for older adults and individuals with physical limitations, as it eliminates running and physical contact. The program will last 12 consecutive weeks and include two 60-minute sessions per week, for a total of 24 sessions. The training routine will be based on a multidimensional, multi-stage approach, structured into three main parts: (a) a minute warm-up (~10 minutes) involving stretching and muscle preparation: joint mobilisation and ball activation exercises will prepare participants for the main activity; (b) multidimensional physical training (~25 minutes), focused on WF (individual and team exercises): aimed at enhancing game skills such as ball possession, progression, space creation, mobility, finishing, as well as tactical-technical actions like passing, receiving, and shooting, along with understanding spatial occupation and game reading. Fun and group dynamics will be incorporated through playful activities; (c) Recreational 5-a-side WF situations (~15 minutes), in accordance with the rules of the Portuguese Football Federation: no goalkeeper; no physical contact; no running; only three consecutive touches per player; and goals are only valid from within a 6-metre scoring area; (d) relaxation and stretching (~10 minutes), to promote muscle relaxation. It is important to note that training sessions will include scheduled and as-needed rest and hydration breaks in order to manage fatigue, ensure safety, and optimise performance. The training content will be distributed across three main components: cardiorespiratory training will account for 50% of each session through aerobic WF activities and game-based scenarios; strength and resistance training will represent 20–30% of the session and will include progressive, capability-adapted exercises; and neuromotor training, also 20–30% of the session, will focus on balance, coordination, and proprioception. Training intensity will progress gradually, starting with low intensity (40–60% of maximum effort) during Weeks 1–4, followed by incremental increases of 5–10% between Weeks 5–8, and then continuing with either maintenance or further progression during Weeks 9–12, depending on individual tolerance. During training, groups will be divided according to health conditions. That is, there will be 2 sessions per week for people with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and 2 sessions per week for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The training sessions will be identical across both experimental conditions (PD and MS), with the training situations adapted to each participant's physical abilities. To ensure safety and accurate monitoring, participants will wear ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers and Polar H10 heart rate monitors during sessions. All sessions will be supervised by two qualified Sports Science professionals with expertise in exercise prescription, and a physician from the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service from SESARAM will be present to ensure safety for participants with PD or MS.
Sponsors
University of Madeira
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion requires a confirmed clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (any subtype) or relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis, age 18 years or older, and disease severity within the defined limits (Hoehn & Yahr stages 1–3 for Parkinson’s or an EDSS score between 0 and 5.5 for MS). Participants must demonstrate balance compatible with low fall risk, as indicated by a The Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB) score between 26 and 30/40 with no falls reported in the previous six months, and Berg Scale > 41. They must also have the physical capacity to engage in light-to-moderate physical activity, with minimal fall risk (no freezing of gait or incapacitating dyskinesias in Parkinson’s; confirmed relapsing–remitting MS without progressive forms). Cognitive capacity is required to understand instructions, follow study procedures, and provide informed consent. Finally, participants must be willing to attend two sessions per week for 12 weeks and be able to take part in group-based physical activity.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria include being under 18 years of age and having advanced stages of disease, such as Parkinson’s disease at Hoehn & Yahr stage 4 or 5, or multiple sclerosis in non–relapsing remitting forms, including secondary progressive, primary progressive, progressive-relapsing MS, or cases with spastic paraparesis or ataxia. Individuals with cognitive impairment, defined by a Mini-Mental State Examination score below 24 or by significant memory or executive dysfunction that prevents understanding of study procedures, are also excluded. Additional exclusions apply to anyone with contraindications to physical activity, including major cardiovascular or respiratory conditions such as recent myocardial infarction, unstable or chronic stable angina, severe uncontrolled arrhythmias, recent cardiac surgery, decompensated heart failure, acute deep vein thrombosis, acute myocarditis, pericarditis or endocarditis, aortic dissection, uncontrolled resting hypertension, or hypertrophic, dilated, or arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. People unable to perform light-to-moderate physical activity without assistive devices, those who have undergone lower-limb surgery in the past three months, or those with severe orthopedic limitations are also excluded. Finally, participation in another intervention study within the previous three months is not permitted.
Outcome results
None listed