Generations Uniting Through Movement (GUM) Policy Recommendations
Introduction
Even though the positive effects of regular physical activity on social, mental and physical health in intergenerational settings are widely acknowledged by researchers, there are still gaps in this awareness among stakeholders from sport, health and youth sectors, and policymakers.
To address this, the Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) project aimed to use physical activity and movement as a means of promoting intergenerational relations and increasing physical activity for both generations. The project focused on developing an innovative and sustainable GUM programme, which included the creation of a European platform and a network, GUM online training tool and several other tools.
To further amplify our impact and emphasize the importance of intergenerational physical activity, we also developed additional materials. These included the project’s communication campaign, an advocacy toolkit, and, ultimately, these policy recommendations.
The recommendations are tailored to support a diverse range of stakeholders, including:
• Municipalities: Local governments and public authorities responsible for community development and resource allocation.
• Sports Sector: Encompassing sport clubs and organisations, coaches, and practitioners actively promoting physical activity and well-being.
• Health Sector: Including care homes for the elderly, centres for seniors, and organisations dedicated to supporting the elderly.
• Youth Sector: Incorporating schools, youth organisations, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and youth centres focused on the development and engagement of young people.
This inclusive approach ensures that all relevant sectors can collaborate effectively to foster intergenerational physical activity and community cohesion.
GUM Policy Recommendation
If you are from a Municipality
Offering young people the opportunity to have valuable leisure, active, and learning time with older people is possible through intergenerational activities. To foster active, inclusive, and connected communities, municipalities are encouraged to develop and implement a policy for promoting intergenerational physical activities. This type of initiative should involve collaboration between the different departments of the Municipalities, such as the Education Department and the Social Affairs Department, to ensure a holistic approach.
Collaborative Planning:
• Establish a joint task force between different departments to draft an intergenerational physical activity strategy.
• Identify key stakeholders working in the intergenerational activity field such as schools, sport organisations, healthcare providers working with the elderly, care homes for the elderly etc.
• Integrate different stakeholders and insights from both departments to address educational benefits, community cohesion, and the diverse physical activity needs of young people and the elderly.
HERE ARE THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Long-term strategies and financial incentives: It is important to have a long-term strategy for creating and supporting intergenerational physical activities.
• Financial incentives: Offer subsidies or grants to organisations running intergenerational programs like yoga, tai chi, dancing, and community sports leagues.
• Support schools, senior centres, and community centres in your municipality and collaborate with them in organising regular, ageinclusive physical activity programs.
• Offer funding for free intergenerational activities and classes at public facilities to encourage regular participation across age groups.
• Designing and investing in inclusive public space: Consider elderly people when designing public spaces, parks, and equipment. Creating inclusive and intergenerational public places will allow both generations to exercise together. For example, install pathways, activity zones with shaded areas, and proper seating to be accessible to the elderly and safe for all. Additionally, providing accessible fitness equipment that can be used by people of varying physical capabilities, such as benches, adjustable equipment, and low-impact exercise machines, can allow both generations to be active together in a shared public space.
• Identify and map available spaces: To maximise the use of existing municipal resources and create inclusive opportunities for intergenerational engagement, it is essential to identify and map available spaces that can accommodate diverse activities.
• Support awareness campaigns run by different organisations, such as sport clubs and/or youth and elderly centres, to promote the benefits of intergenerational physical activity.
• Link your existing activities to adaptable intergenerational activities. Working with schools to incorporate intergenerational physical activities, such as organising “Intergenerational Fitness Days,” where students and family members of all ages can participate together.
• Offer accessible transportation to both young people and the elderly so that they can join an intergenerational event together. For example, partnering with local transportation companies to provide free or reduced-cost transportation for seniors and young people to reach community centres, parks, and event locations might increase participation in your intergenerational events.
• Safety and security issues: Ensure safety and security by implementing measures such as well-lit and accessible venues, proper supervision, age-appropriate equipment, and clear emergency protocols to create a safe environment for all participants in intergenerational physical activities
Sport Sector
If you are from a sport club / sport organisation
• Expand your offer with an innovative intergenerational program: Establish teams or activities where participants from different age groups, such as children, adults, and seniors, can train together.
• Implement flexible, inclusive, and low-cost programs: Designing and offering flexible programmes that cater to varying abilities, schedules, and financial circumstances encourage intergenerational participation.
• Offer intergenerational tournaments or sport festivals where young and elderly co-create fun physical activities: Provide adaptable versions of popular sports (e.g., walking soccer, gentle yoga, or noncompetitive games) or traditional games that accommodate different fitness levels and age groups. For example, use traditional games as an inspiration to motivate both generations.
• Develop training programs or your trainers, staff, and volunteers on how to facilitate intergenerational physical activities that can meet the needs of different age groups.
• Create a buddy system in your activities: Buddy systems, such as one young person being connected to one senior, can help participants feel more engaged.
• Run awareness campaigns to promote the social, mental, and physical benefits of intergenerational physical activity for all age groups.
• Highlight success stories: Share stories from successful intergenerational initiatives to inspire participation and show the community value of these programmes.
• Use social media channels and available digital platforms to target diverse audiences with messaging about the benefits of intergenerational activities, linking these to your existing events. You can adapt your events to intergenerational activities.
• Gather feedback from participants of different age groups to continuously adapt and improve programs and ensure they meet community needs.
• Measure and share the impact of intergenerational physical activities on participants: Regularly measuring and publishing findings on the benefits of intergenerational activities can help raise awareness among people and secure support and funding.
• Design or adapt your sports facilities to be accessible and welcoming to people of all ages (e.g., wheelchair access or age-appropriate gear).
• Offer discounted fees or intergenerational physical activity programs to ensure affordability for families and older adults.
• Make sure you implement the GUM project stepwise: Raise awareness with fun (e.g., coffee meetings with explanations in homes for the elderly), build a relationship, co-design games (both generations), pilot games (e.g., a mixture of traditional games and VR games), structure a half-year program, organise extra special activities, and evaluate.
• Partner with schools, youth centres, and senior organisations to develop intergenerational physical activity initiatives.
• Promote an organisation/club culture where people of all ages feel welcome.
• Engage volunteers: Involve younger leaders and older people as role models.
If you are a sport coach/practitioner
• Creating social cohesion between the target groups is the key to a successful programme. Different strategies can be used, but the coach should pay special attention to favour collaboration, social contact, and communication between generations. Fun activities (e.g., games using the ball) are a good option to achieve this spontaneously.
• The buddy system also proved very interesting for developing social relations and motivating the participants.
• Rethink your position as a sports coach. A coach should be more of a facilitator instead of an instructor.
• Think of safety/reassuring measures for all target groups (e.g. give examples of activities you will be doing; make an information leaflet/ meeting about the safety and success) Reassure the possibilities for everybody to participate safely, at their own pace and level.
Health and Social Sector
If you’re working in care homes for the elderly/ centres for the elderly/ an organisation working with the elderly
• Partner with schools and youth groups: Collaborate with local schools, youth organisations, and community groups to create intergenerational programs where young people can engage with older adults in physical activities (calendar with common events, common festivals etc.)
• Develop intergenerational fitness programmes that cater to various abilities and ages, such as gentle yoga, tai chi, walking clubs, or dance programmes. These classes can be held within eldercare facilities and involve both older residents and youth from the community or family members.
• Be creative in organising activities, including physical activity as an element for the elderly. Offer activities that are adaptable to various physical capabilities, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age or health status, can participate. For example, chair aerobics, seated volleyball etc.
• Promote cognitive and physical health: Design programmes that specifically target both the physical and mental health of seniors, emphasising activities that have been shown to improve mobility, flexibility, balance, and cognitive function. Intergenerational physical activity programmes should focus on health outcomes such as reducing fall risk, improving cardiovascular health, and enhancing overall wellbeing.
• Organise workshops and invite/engage youth organisations. In these workshops, older adults and young people can share knowledge through physical activities. For example, older adults can teach younger participants traditional games, and cultural dances, while young people can teach tech-based fitness apps or modern fitness trends to seniors.
• Assess the impact of intergenerational physical activity programmes: Develop systems to evaluate the effectiveness of intergenerational programs in terms of health benefits, social engagement, and overall satisfaction. Collect feedback from participants of all ages to improve the programs continuously.
• Look for various sources of support: Contact your local municipality to check if they can support your programme, or local business programs, sport clubs (for training).
• Create a sense of community within your centre through common activities, regular monitoring, checks and social events.
• Include all sorts of health(care) professionals so that they can direct elderly people to intergenerational programs.
• Lower barriers as much as possible. Help attract funding (business case, social revenue) and provide personnel with the right expertise and knowledge.
Youth Sector
Promoting and advocating for intergenerational physical activities involves engaging young people in ways that not only benefit their physical health but also foster intergenerational relationships and mutual learning.
Here are the key recommendations for school staff and people working with young people in different institutions.
If you are working in a school
• Curriculum Integration: Integrate the benefits of intergenerational physical activities into school curriculums.
• A service-based project could make children/students aware of the importance of physical activity and intergenerational relations. Schools need to find innovative ways to engage children, and service-based projects can offer the opportunity to encourage students to meet elderly people and co-create physical activity.
• Implement awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of intergenerational engagement through physical activities. Use educational tools, workshops, and discussions to teach students about the benefits of connecting with older generations, both physically and socially.
PHOTO CREDIT Cottonbro Studio
If you are working in a youth organisation /an NGO/a youth
centre
• Develop and implement programmes that intentionally mix youth with older generations.
• Collaborate with care homes for the elderly and organisations working with older people.
• The involvement and interest of younger generations depend on multiple factors but should be analysed before launching an intergenerational programme.
• Create a mentorship programme. If younger participants are paired with older individuals in mentorship programmes, they can learn from each other, whether it’s through physical activity, life skills, or career development.
• Encourage young people to take the initiative in organising intergenerational programmes. Taking leadership roles can help them develop communication and organisational skills while fostering positive intergenerational interactions.
• Identify care homes for the elderly which are close to centres for older people and to youth centres and schools. Transportation has to be avoided as much as possible. Ways of active transportation for kids are also an option like walking or cycling to a centre for the elderly. We have a very interesting experience with a school that is no longer using buses for short transportation but organising it by cycling.
FOR INSPIRATION
MOVE Game (Jeu Bouge+)
Azur Sport Santé developed this game to convey major public health messages in a fun and active way and enable the population to increase their level of physical activity. The difficulty levels of the proposed exercises are based on the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of 30 to 60 minutes (depending on age) of moderate-intensity physical activity five times per week. jeubougeplus.fr
Exergames
Exergames are video games that translate body motions into gaming commands. They could enhance users’ health and are a new emerging form of exercise that could improve physical activity and psychosocial well-being.
FOR INSPIRATION
GUM pilot videos from Bulgaria, France, Spain and the UK
FRANCE: The video highlights the GUM pilot programme organised in Nice, France, by Azur Sport Santé in collaboration with UnisCité. A group of elderly and young people co-designed an 8-week programme combining walking, yoga and dancing. Discover what it all looked like and the testimonials from the participants, the coach and the organisers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2xuS-b-3Gs
BULGARIA: The video highlights the key moments from the pilot test activities in 3 community clubs for the elderly – Trakia District, Central District, and Markovo village. Check testimonials from the participants and trainers regarding the programme.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k4SKH02gvE&t=3s
UK: Discover how GUM UK brings generations together through adapted physical activity! From armchair yoga and table tennis to basketball, these sessions are designed for both elderly people and students. Beyond exercise, they foster meaningful social connections through traditional games, chats, and shared meals
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOO8f8z_wGY
SPAIN: Discover how GUM Spain’s pilot activities bridged generations! In collaboration with Salesianos Cruces in Barakaldo and IES María Goyri in Madrid, these 10-week programmes brought young people and older adults together through engaging, structured physical activities.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBQC2cqbDY4
Conclusion
The Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) project highlights the transformative potential of intergenerational physical activity in fostering stronger community ties, enhancing well-being, and addressing gaps in awareness among key stakeholders.
Our aim has been to provide practical tools, resources, and policy recommendations designed to help municipalities, sports organisations, health providers, and youth groups work together more effectively. We believe that focusing on collaboration paves the way for lasting change, emphasising the value of bringing generations together through movement to build healthier and more connected communities.
Additional Materials
RESEARCH OF THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERGENERATIONAL COLLABORATION PROJECTS
The purpose of this research is to prepare the foundation for a sustainable and innovative Generations Uniting Through Movement (GUM) programme. To achieve this goal, it was crucial to do some desk research to identify the prerequisites for intergenerational collaboration and existing models found in international literature. We believe that this study will constitute a solid resource for the successful and effective implementation of the GUM programme.
In this report, we investigated what makes these examples ‘good’, the barriers they had to overcome, their main outcomes, any change/impact achieved, and behaviour change patterns noticed after the interventions. Hanze University conducted an analysis of 12 selected good examples with contributions from the partners. At the same time, they included the entire collection (39 examples) at the end of the research report as an appendix.
www.generationsmove.org/updates-detail/1101/what-are-the-prerequisitesfor-successful-intergenerational-collaboration-new-report
GUM INFOGRAPHIC: WHY SHOULD GENERATIONS MOVE TOGETHER?
GUM project partners created an infographic to show five keys to success when it comes to organising intergenerational activities with a focus on MOVEment.
www.generationsmove.org/updates-detail/1162/infographic-why-shoulddifferent-generations-move-together
GUM ONLINE TRAINING TOOL
You’re welcome to explore our online training tool- a guide to provide an actionable learning experience on why and how to set up AND run a grassroots intergenerational physical activity programme.
You will need up to 90 minutes to complete the course. Downloadable video transcripts, readings, podcasts, and presentations are included within each module.
By the end of the GUM online training, you will be able to:
• Illustrate the goals, principles and components of an intergenerational movement and physical activity programme
• Design and deliver a successful GUM programme
• Apply and develop digital literacy as a support to your GUM offer (using the GUM app)
www.generationsmove.org/training-tool
GUM ADVOCACY PODCAST
In this special episode of the ISCA Learning podcast, we take a deep dive into active ageing in the 2020s with Youth Sport Trust (YST) International Managing Director Helen Vost and ISCA President Mogens Kirkeby.
Listen to find out:
• The immediate feel-good benefits when young people and seniors cocreate social and physical activities.
• Why your initiative has to be a win-win for both the older and younger participants to succeed.
• Why “movement” can be a more helpful word than “sport” to advocate for active ageing initiatives – and what “movement” activities look like.
• How intergenerational movement programmes could create work experience and employment opportunities if we rethink aged care and prevention in the health sector.
www.generationsmove.org/updates-detail/1298/new-isca-podcast-episodehow-to-advocate-for-active-ageing-programmes-in-the-2020s-with-helenvost-and-mogens-kirkeby
Generations Uniting Through Movement (GUM)
D5.2. Developing Recommendations for successful implementation of future intergenerational programmes under the Work Package 5 –Dissemination and Sustainability
WP5 leading organisation: ISCA
Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
