Cricket helps your fitness, mental wellbeing, and balance, and it’s a great way to meet people and feel part of a team.
Walking Cricket gives the same benefits in a slower, easier format — perfect for those who want to stay active at their own pace.
If you’re a fan of cricket, there’s always a way to stay part of the game. Whether you want to play full matches, try Walking Cricket, play Wheelchair Cricket, become an umpire, or simply enjoy being a spectator, there’s something for everyone.
Cricket helps your heart by keeping you gently active throughout the game.
Cricket builds strength in lots of useful ways
Cricket improves balance as you stay steady while fielding and batting.
You’re never too old to enjoy cricket. There are lots of ways to be part of the game — check out the ‘Getting Started’ section to see what suits you best.
Walking Cricket is a slower-paced, indoor version of the game. You can read the official rules here: Walking Cricket rules.
It can be hard to know where to start when trying to move more. Everyone begins at a different point, depending on how active they are, how easily they move, and how strong they feel.
To get started, choose the option that best matches what you usually do on an average day in each column below. Look at your daily activities, mobility, and strength to find a sensible place to begin. Then click on the ‘see results’ button to reveal where you should start.
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If you love watching cricket, you can still move a little while you enjoy the match. Try marching on the spot, doing bicep curls, or sit-to-stand exercises after a wicket falls or during the breaks. Every bit of movement helps! For more ideas, try these chair-based exercises.
If playing cricket feels like too much right now, why not stay active while you watch? Try some balance or strength exercises during match breaks. You could also visit a local club to watch a game — walking around the pitch helps you get in extra steps.
Walking Cricket is an indoor, slower-paced version of the game with no running. It’s designed for people who want to stay active without too much pressure. Many people with long-term health conditions enjoy it for the social side and the chance to develop their skills.
Walking Cricket keeps you involved without needing to run. It’s social, skill-based, and fun. Want to help out in another way? If you have good eyesight, umpiring is another brilliant way to stay close to the action.
If Walking Cricket feels easy now, why not join a veterans’ league? It’s a great way to challenge yourself. If you’d rather not play but still want to stay involved, umpiring might be a perfect fit.
Yes! The UK Wheelchair Association runs ‘have a go’ events and supports wheelchair cricket in many forms across the country.
Surrey Cricket Foundation’s Walking Cricket programme offers a slower-paced, inclusive version of the game for adults aged 50+, promoting physical and mental wellbeing through social, accessible sessions across 17 clubs in the county.
Staffordshire Seniors Cricket Club aims to promote participation in competitive cricket for over 50’s, 60’s & 70’s in Staffordshire.
This site has been put together by specialists in exercise medicine and supported and funded by Nuffield Health Charity. In collaboration with academic experts, specialists in behavioural change, medics across a wide spectrum of specialties, physiotherapists, nurses and most importantly, people living with the symptoms of long term conditions. Through our rigorous academic process we have carefully ensured that all the information on this website is trustworthy and evidence based.
The following organisations have contributed to and endorsed the content of this website.
