A brief history of Intergenerational physical activity and programmes

According to the European Commission’s report on the Mapping Study on the intergenerational dimension of Sport, a universally agreed upon definition of intergenerational sport does not appear to exist in the literature. It suggests a built-on definition of intergenerational activity such as “intergenerational sport is any activity that engages both young and older generations in taking part in sport and physical activities at the same time, and which could include active participation as well as volunteering in sporting competitions, coaching and spectating.”1 This definition coincides with our focus on “movement” rather than “sport” in our project. We discovered a barrier in the word “sport” since physical activities that appeal to both younger and older generations are often more about “movement” than organised sport. We believe that Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) program could be the right formula to bring generations together.

When we look at the history of the intergenerational programs and activities, we see that they were rapidly developed from the 1960s to the 1970s as a solution to involve both young and older generations in a physical activity practiced together by meeting the needs of both generations that were changed over time 2

One of the early promotions of intergenerational solidarity and programmes is the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations in 20123 as designated by the European Union. The initiative aimed to encourage healthy ageing, independent living and better working conditions for the growing numbers of older people in Europe.

Another report is the WHO’s report on the Physical Activity Strategy for the WHO European Region 2016-2025 which has an objective to “Involve older people in social physical activity” while emphasizing the member states’ role to encourage elderly to engage in physical activity. In this report, we see a brief reference to intergenerational approaches: “… Furthermore, special consideration should be given to intergenerational approaches. The important and active contribution of older people to supporting community-based and voluntary activities is recognized.”4

1 Ecorys (2020). Mapping study on the intergenerational dimension of sport. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.Available online: https://sport.ec.europa.eu/news/ mapping-study-on-the-intergenerational-dimension-of-sport

2 Newman D.B., Tay L., Diener E. Leisure and subjective well-being: A model of psychological mechanisms as mediating factors. J. Happiness Stud. 2014;15:555–578. doi: 10.1007/s10902013-9435-x

3 Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations: A Statistical Portrait of the European Union 2012. Available online: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-statistical-books/-/KS-EP11-001#:~:text=In%20response%20to%20demographic%20challenges,a%20society%20for%20 all%20ages.

4 Physical Activity Strategy for the WHO European Region 2016-2025, The WHO, Regional Office for Europe, available online: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/hand le/10665/329407/9789289051477-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

While it is known that programmes that bring together young people and the elderly have positive effects on both generations5 (preventing loneliness, reducing depression, improving self-esteem etc.) we observe a lack of mutually beneficial and engaging activities/programmes that are co-created by both generations. Even though there are intergenerational physical activity examples and programmes in many European countries, it is difficult to find scientific research and evaluation on their outcomes and impact. This need has been also highlighted by the Mapping Study on the Intergenerational dimension of Sport6, based on the mapping review exercise of 92 indentified projects in all the EU member states by the European Commission:

“The need to systematically evaluate project and programme outcomes in order to raise awareness of the benefits of intergenerational sport programmes. As also outlined by different consulted stakeholders, the lack of awareness at national level on the importance and relevance of intergenerational sport activities might prevent the inclusion of intergenerational learning practices in the field of sport in national strategic plans or grant programmes, thus also affecting the level of funding available for these types of activities.”

One of our main purposes as the GUM partnership is to work on a creative and sustainable GUM programme that allows both generations to co-create activities as well as increase the awareness at local and national levels on the importance of intergenerational movement and physical activities.

In order to form a solid basis for our program, we examined the main behaviour change models in literature.

5 Buonsenso A, Fiorilli G, Mosca C, Centorbi M, Notarstefano CC, Di Martino G, Calcagno G, Intrieri M, di Cagno A. Exploring the Enjoyment of the Intergenerational Physical Activity. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021 Jun 14;6(2):51. doi: 10.3390/jfmk6020051. PMID: 34198610; PMCID: PMC8293167. Available on: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC8293167/#B18-jfmk-06-00051

6 Ecorys (2020). Mapping study on the intergenerational dimension of sport. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.Available on: https://sport.ec.europa.eu/news/ mapping-study-on-the-intergenerational-dimension-of-sport