By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being
Cornhole at the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana.
If you’d like to be more active or build your fitness in 2025, trying a sport could be the path to take.
Do any of these descriptions resonate with you?
- You want to be more physically active.
- You were inspired watching your favorite athletes in the Olympics this summer and feel the urge to compete.
- You recently heard about the National Senior Games (maybe on NPR’s All Things Considered?) for the first time and want to get involved.
- You already participate in Senior Games but are considering adding another sport for a new challenge.
- You did not have an opportunity to qualify in 2024 for the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana but still want to compete.
If you identify with any of the above, follow your motivation and register for an Open Sport at the National Senior Games in 2025. Anyone who is at least 50 years old by Dec. 31, 2024, is eligible to compete in an Open Sport. This is different from Qualifying Sports, which require athletes to qualify at a State Senior Games in the year before Nationals.
Open Sports and events for 2025 include Basketball Skills, Billiards, Beach Volleyball, Cornhole (including non-ambulatory divisions), Recumbent Cycling Time Trials, Disc Golf, Golf Scramble, 1-Mile Road Race, Powerlifting, Power Walk, Soccer, Tai Chi, Non-Ambulatory Pickleball (singles), and Triathlon Relay.
How to Choose a Sport
With seven months until The Games, there are a few things to consider when choosing a sport and sustaining motivation.
- Get cleared by your doctor to participate.
- Consider the fun factor. Which Open Sport sounds most enjoyable to you? You’re more likely to stick with something you like doing!
- Assess your current health and fitness level and what the sport requires.
- Find a coach and/or club to help you learn the sport and stay consistent in your training. Build a support system to encourage you on your journey.
- Set realistic goals.
Knowing you have enough time and a plan to prepare allows you to feel comfortable challenging yourself to try a new activity. Keep in mind the level of skill and physicality required for a sport when making your plan. Tai Chi, for example, requires a high level of skill. A sport like Beach Volleyball also demands strong fitness.
Some additional factors when choosing a sport include:
- Preference for individual or team sports.
- Time available to develop a new skill.
- Cost and type of equipment needed.
- Access to practice facilities.
Once you pick your sport, make it official and register for the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana! Registration closes May 15, 2025.
Celebrating All Physical Activity
Even if you are not inclined to participate in the National Senior Games, you can join the active aging movement.
Like the American College of Sports Medicine, NSGA believes that Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) and advocates for older adults to have access to age friendly physical activities of all types.
The NSGA’s mission is to promote the benefits of competitive sports, physical fitness and active aging to people ages 50+. If friendly competition is not your cup of tea, that’s ok! We embrace all older adults in their quest to be active and encourage everyone to move more, wherever you are.
