Abstract
This article reports on the Adapted Utilitarian Judo project. The use of the foundations and technical elements of traditional Judo, adapted and contextualised to the requirements of the older adult population, orienting the activity toward the field of health and the improvement of the quality of life of the older adult. Its mission is to facilitate maintaining and improving the functionality and autonomy of this population, with respect to the performance of the basic and instrumental activities of daily life. At the same it seeks to achieve this while maintaining the essence of the values that are inherent to the practice of Judo as a traditional martial art. It is argued that Judo, once adapted to focus on a utilitarian function, not only allows to actively influence aspects such as maintaining the physical qualities of the elderly but also fosters other key elements for active and healthy ageing by participating in an ongoing group activity, such as socialisation and self-esteem. More specifically, the paper presents how adapted Judo represents an innovation in the treatment of a risk factor associated with aging: the active prevention of falls. We conclude that Adapted Utilitarian Judo (JUA) is both a timely and relevant as a social and educational tool of great value, responds to propos called for by the international scientific community for programs aimed at improving the health and quality of life of the older adult population, especially in Europe, that is ageing at a fast pace.
Highlights
The programs aimed at improving the quality of life and the health of the older adult population are a response to the increasing ageing process of the general population, as a direct consequence of the increase in life expectancy throughout the world, which is producing significant changes in the demographic pyramid [1]
This is the great contribution of JUA, which has led us to design a program that, through the adaptations of the teaching techniques of Judo falls, presents a double output: on one hand, the creation of a program that could be included as exercises in sessions of physical conditioning directed at older adults, helping to reduce the fear of falling; and on the other hand, the transformation of a traditional martial art such as Judo into a global program of healthy physical activity focused on the older adult population
JUA practice offers the opportunity for active and relevant participation of older adults, as specially qualified volunteer staff, in the organisation of activities related to Judo, which could be called voluntary black belts, to contribute to specific aspects of control and organisation of sports competitions and activities related to Judo
Summary
The programs aimed at improving the quality of life and the health of the older adult population (people over 65 years of age, according to the definition of the World Health Organization) are a response to the increasing ageing process of the general population, as a direct consequence of the increase in life expectancy throughout the world, which is producing significant changes in the demographic pyramid [1]. This increase in life expectancy is an important indicator of the cultural development that reflects the improvement and evolution of the social welfare policies of states, but at the same time it represents a challenge due to the high cost related to the economic, social and health-related attention that the older adult population requires For this reason, the concept of “healthy life expectancy” has been developed, which basically consists in including a new dimension, “the adding of the quality of life to the number of years of life” [2] The goal is to ensure that as the ageing process occurs, the percentage of time lived in good health increases In line with this cultural context, responses are being offered from numerous national and international institutions, such as the European Policy Center for Social Welfare and Research, Eurolink Age in the United Kingdom, the International Federation of Associations of the Elderly, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
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