Before the first whistle sounds at Christchurch Netball Centre, walking netball players are already moving across the court. They step side to side, rise onto their toes, hold their balance and pass the ball between teammates, preparing their bodies for the game ahead.
These movements form the Walking NetballSmart Dynamic Warm-Up (wNSDWU), a new resource developed by NetballSmart in collaboration with Sport Canterbury and Christchurch Netball Centre. It prepares players for walking netball while incorporating exercises that support strength, balance and coordination.
Sport Canterbury Strength and Balance Project Lead Lily Purdon says the idea grew out of a gap between ACC Live Stronger for Longer Community Strength and Balance classes and less structured movement opportunities such as walking sports.
“Walking netball was already giving people a lower-impact way to enjoy the game, stay active and connect with others. We saw an opportunity to build targeted strength and balance exercises into an activity people were already choosing to take part in,” Purdon says.
NetballSmart Research Lead Carla van der Merwe says the warm-up reflects NetballSmart’s focus on helping people move well and continue enjoying netball at every age.
“Research shows dynamic warm-ups can improve strength and balance throughout someone’s playing journey. That’s why we worked with Live Stronger for Longer to develop a warm-up specifically for walking netball.”
Purdon developed the first version of the warm-up and spent around six months refining it at Christchurch Netball Centre, working closely with the NetballSmart team throughout. She observed how the exercises worked during sessions and made changes based on feedback from players, the walking netball facilitator and NetballSmart.
“We kept refining it until we had something that flowed well, was easy to deliver and suited the people who would actually be using it.”
The finished resource includes walking patterns, side steps, balance holds, squats, calf raises, lunges and partner passing. The movements prepare players to change direction, control the ball and move around the court, while developing physical qualities that are also useful in everyday life.
A group of walking netball players then took part in a 10-week pilot, completing the warm-up before their weekly game. Testing carried out before and after the pilot explored changes in their strength, balance and mobility.
The clearest result was in lower-leg strength endurance, which improved by 23% across the group and by 30% among players aged 60 and older. Smaller positive changes were also seen across some measures of mobility and lower-body strength.
Van der Merwe says the development process was strengthened by combining research and expertise with input from the players themselves.
“Their feedback helped make the warm-up realistic, enjoyable and easy to use in a walking netball setting. The improvements we saw in lower-leg strength, particularly among players over 60, were promising,” she says.
“This was a small pilot and more research is needed, but it gives us a great starting point. We now have a practical community resource and more opportunities to explore how walking netball can support strength, balance and lifelong participation.”
Purdon says the collaboration was central to creating a resource that could work beyond the pilot.
“I’m most proud that we were able to bring these different areas of work together and turn that shared knowledge into something practical,” she says.
“The players helped us shape a warm-up that works in a real walking netball setting, and we now have a resource that can support more people to build strength and balance through a game they enjoy.”
The completed resource is now available through NetballSmart.