Hitting Your Fitness Goals for Six with Walking Cricket

walking cricket

Do you love cricket but struggle to keep up with the tempo of a game? Struggle to run for a whole day?

Or are you looking for a fun physical activity to get fit and healthy that will get you meeting new people and honing in new skills?

If so, walking cricket could be the answer!

Walking cricket is becoming increasingly popular amongst the over 50s looking to get fit and active… and for good reason. It’s a slower paced game that encourages those who enjoy cricket but can’t commit to a full tempo game and running for the whole day to keep playing and keep active.

Walking cricket provides the perfect platform for continuing to enjoy this great game. Walking cricket is extremely inclusive and anyone can get involved. It’s also equally as poplar with women as with men.

If you haven’t given it a go yet, we think walking cricket will “bowl” you over with all its benefits (sorry, we had to squeeze in at least one pun!)

What is Walking Cricket

Walking cricket is designed to offer over 50s a dedicated game to encourage them to keep active and keep playing the game they love.

It is usually played indoors with a softer ball.

The game follows the same format as regular cricket with a bowler bowling a ball towards the stump where a batsman will try their best to play a shot. Players can emulate regular cricket shots and practice all sorts of shots and techniques. From here the game adopts a slower pace with players walking instead of running.

The game of cricket is perfectly positioned to be adapted to a walking version so the game still feels very much like you’re playing cricket, keeping the loyal cricketers happy.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve played cricket all your life or never played once, walking cricket is suited to anyone, any standard.

Just because it is played at a slower pace, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great form of fitness. Being up and about on your feet, moving around, hitting the ball and generally being in the swing of things will undoubtedly start burning calories! An active lifestyle is the easiest way to ensure you avoid the dangers of being sedentary.

Living a fit and healthy life doesn’t just mean going to the gym a few times a week, playing sports and joining in with new activities is an easy and enjoyable way to reap the benefits of fitness.

The benefits of walking cricket extend far beyond fitness – the social aspect can be a great appeal for those looking to join a regular team and enjoy the environment sports clubs offer.

From weekly practices and organised games, to team socials and events, the dynamic of sports teams is a fantastic environment to meet new people and kick-start your social life.

How Long are Walking Cricket Matches?

Walking cricket matches usually last no more than 1 hour. However, local teams or clubs may have their own rules or different match lengths.

Getting Involved

Many of the county cricket clubs have witnessed the growing demand of walking cricket and put on special teams and coaching sessions for this version of the sport. So, if you live near a county cricket team, checking if they offer walking cricket sessions is a great place to start.

If there are no teams close to you, checking at local gyms and health clubs is another great option. If there is enough interest, local gyms or health clubs may help organise sessions.

Similarly, if you can find enough interest locally, you could look to set up your own club.

As the popularity continues to increase, the number of teams and leagues popping up all over the country is also increasing.

From playing each week with new friends and teammates to having matches against other walking cricket teams, there’s a whole cricketing world out there!