A sporty National Day for over 5,000 seniors!

Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health participating in the GetActive! Workout with the seniors. Photo Credit : Sport Singapore

3 August 2022 – The second edition of the Seniors’ Sports Day returned at GetActive! Singapore 2022, with over 5,000 seniors from 90 senior activity centres, active ageing centres, and nursing homes, joining in the National Day celebrations through sport – 800 physically and around 4,500 virtually. Besides dancing to an adapted version of the ‘GetActive! Workout’, participants who were onsite at the OCBC Square also got to experience modified sports and a modified obstacle course for the first time.

Guest-of-honour Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health, launched the Seniors’ Sports Day and joined the seniors in the ‘GetActive! Workout’, walking football and seated volleyball activities – two of the modified sporting activities available for seniors at the event. He also tried out some of the activities along the ‘Dragon Trail’ – a modified obstacle course curated for the seniors to experience various activities to assess their mobility, agility, balance, hand-eye coordination and muscular strength, which feature activities such as low balancing beams, reaction lights, shooting hoops and scoring goals.

Dragon Trail - Stay on your feet (Basketball). Photo Credit : Sport Singapore

“It is heartening to see seniors keeping active and enjoying the activities at the Seniors’ Sports Day today. Their laughter and smiles were contagious, and it truly demonstrates the ability of sports to forge friendships and become stronger together. Apart from the modified sport activities at the event today, ActiveSG Masters Club have regular programmes that cater to people aged above 40 years old of varying abilities, and I hope that more people in the community can stay healthy by engaging in regular physical activity,” said Mr Sng Hock Lin, ActiveSG Chief, Sport Singapore.

Dragon Trail - Tandem Walk. Photo Credit : Sport Singapore

Organised by the ActiveSG Masters Club, the Seniors’ Sports Day seeks to encourage seniors to lead an active and healthy lifestyle and stay connected to the community through sport and physical activity. Besides the three modified sports, the event also features the ‘Dragon Trail’, a modified senior obstacle course curated for the seniors to experience various activities to assess their mobility, agility, balance, hand-eye coordination and muscular strength. At the same time, they can also learn tips and exercises to improve their fitness levels.

82-year-old Chee Ngah Yeow, a participant from MWS Senior Activity Centre, said, “It was a truly enjoyable experience to participate in the Seniors’ Sports Day activities with my friends. I particularly liked the ‘tapping light’ game as it tests my agility and improves my reaction speed. As a first timer to the event, I was also pleasantly surprised to see a wide variety of sports and activities available for seniors. It is important for seniors to maintain a regular exercise routine – for me, exercising strengthens my limbs and improves my overall health and fitness level. This is why I can still do a full squat despite my age!”

Sarcopenia screening - Sit to Stand Test. Photo Credit : Sport Singapore

Sarcopenia screening by Active Health was conducted onsite for the seniors to allow them to understand their risk of this age-related condition. During the screening, their calf circumference, handgrip strength, shoulder mobility and physical performance (through a simple five-times sit-to-stand test) were measured. Thereafter, the Active Health coaches explained the scores to the seniors and taught them simple exercises to strengthen their muscles. 

A virtual Seniors’ Sports Day, organised in partnership with Agency of Integrated Care, was held across two days on 28 and 29 July 2022 to engage more seniors in the community who were unable to join the physical event due to capacity limitations. Around 23,000 seniors participated via zoom and engaged in activities such as dart throwing, bean bag toss and cup stacking. A Qigong performance put up by 1,800 Qigong practitioners was also held at the National Stadium on 31 July 2022.

GetActive! Singapore is happening from now till 8 August 2022, at the Singapore Sports Hub, ActiveSG Sport Centres and selected heartland community spaces.