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MyWALK-FIT

 ⚽ Universiti Malaya Community Flagship 

UM-WALK

Walking Football Flagship: Promoting Healthy Aging & Post-Stroke Rehabilitation in Malaysia through safe, inclusive, low-impact exercise, smart wearable remote monitoring, and nationwide community empowerment.

⚽
Main Flagship Program Dr. Ahmad Hazwan Ahmad Shushami

🏛️
Lead Centers / PTj Sports Medicine, Rehab Medicine & FCSIT, UM
Universiti Malaya Walking Football Program
Quantifiable Reach & Scale

Collective Community Impact

Measurable physical health improvement, active lifestyle adoption, and digital remote health monitoring achieved nationwide across seniors, middle-aged adults, and stroke survivors.

300+
Direct Beneficiaries Engaged
8
Nationwide Locations & States
100%
High Interest & Satisfaction
24
Smart Wearables Monitored
Three-Tier Architecture

Strategic Intervention Pillars

SUB-PROJECT 1

Senior Walking Football Expansion

Expanding Walking Football for healthy aging across 8 nationwide locations, officiating certifications, and debuting at Hari Sukan Negara 2024.

Pillar Lead: Ahmad Hazwan Shushami 8 Locations Nationwide
SUB-PROJECT 2

Keeping Active After Stroke (WALKISTs)

A 24-week clinical protocol evaluating the safety, feasibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, and balance improvements among stroke survivors.

Pillar Lead: Dr. Sakinah Sabirin UMMC & NASAM
SUB-PROJECT 3

Smart Wearable Remote Health Tracking

Integrating Garmin smartwatches and custom clinical web dashboards for real-time remote physiological monitoring during stroke recovery.

Pillar Lead: Dr. Nur Firdaus Sahran UMMC & Garmin Malaysia
Deep-Dive Implementation

Explore Sub-Project Frameworks

Stay Fit for Healthy Aging: Expanding Walking Football Among Seniors in Malaysia

Nationwide Community Capacity Building, Official Certifications & National Tournament at Hari Sukan Negara

Sub-Project Leader

Ahmad Hazwan bin Ahmad Shushami

Sports Medicine Discipline, Faculty of Medicine

Target Locations

8 States / Territories

Labuan, Putrajaya, KL, Penang, Terengganu, Sarawak, Kedah, Sabah

Direct Reach

>300 Participants

Seniors, Middle-Aged Adults & Local Organizers

Core Milestones

Hari Sukan Negara 2024

First-ever National Walking Football Tournament

Key Accomplishments & Expansion:

  • Institutional Collaborations & Grant Support: Secured RM20,000 from the Ministry of Youth & Sports (Dana Sukan Komuniti) with active partnerships across KBS, JBS, and PKD Yan.
  • Capacity Building & Club Formation: Trained local officials and encouraged community ownership, leading to registered Walking Football clubs in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, MBPJ, and Universiti Malaya.
  • Walking Football for Schools 2026: Expanding intervention strategies to pediatric populations in collaboration with PPD Bangsar/Pudu to address childhood obesity.

Keeping Active After Stroke: Walking Football for Stroke Survivors (WALKISTs)

Safety and Feasibility Pilot Protocol, Post-Stroke Functional Conditioning & Community Re-Integration

Sub-Project Leader

Dr. Sakinah binti Sabirin

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine

Target Cohort

24 Stroke Survivors

UMMC Catchment Area & NASAM PJ

Program Duration

24-Week Training

3 Progressive 8-Week Phases

Clinical Outcomes

Safety & Feasibility

Balance (BBS), VO2max & 6MWT

3-Phase WALKISTs Training Protocol:

  • Phase 1 (Return to Physical Activity - Weeks 1–8): Supervised weekly exercise sessions at UMMC focusing on cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strengthening, and balance training.
  • Phase 2 (Return to Sports A - Weeks 9–16): Sports-specific rehabilitation at Padang Varsiti UM mastering ball control, short passing, receiving, and shooting skills.
  • Phase 3 (Return to Sports B - Weeks 17–24): Tactical team training and adapted low-impact walking football games following modified non-contact rules.

Analysis of Smart Wearable Technology in Enhancing Health Among Stroke Survivors

Garmin Smartwatch Integration, Dynamic Web Clinical Dashboard & Asynchronous Remote Monitoring

Sub-Project Leader

Dr. Muhammad Nur Firdaus bin Sahran

Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology

Partner Support

Garmin Malaysia

24 Smartwatches (~RM10,000 In-Kind Contribution)

Vitals Tracked

Continuous Remote Monitoring

Heart Rate, SpO2, Stress Level & Sleep Quality

Clinical Software

Custom Clinical Web Dashboard

Real-time remote clinical monitoring for UMMC

Proactive Remote Health Management: By pairing consumer-grade Garmin wearables with a custom clinical telemetry web dashboard developed by the FCSIT research team, stroke survivors shift from reactive hospital visits to continuous, proactive self-monitoring. UMMC clinicians can evaluate physiological recovery trends asynchronously to prevent secondary events.
Evidence-Based Insights

Debunking Active Aging & Post-Stroke Myths

Click any myth below to uncover evidence-based realities established through UM-WALK field trials and clinical studies.

Myth 1: "Sports and physical activities are strictly unsafe for stroke survivors during recovery." +
Scientific Reality: When conducted under structured, condition-specific protocols like WALKISTs, adapted sports such as Walking Football are safe, feasible, and effective. The protocol features medical screening, low-impact non-running rules, pre-field conditioning, and real-time heart rate monitoring, safely improving balance (BBS), cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), and mobility.
Myth 2: "Walking Football is only an informal recreational game with limited clinical or policy value." +
Scientific Reality: Walking Football has been integrated into national public health frameworks, officially debuting as a key sport in Hari Sukan Negara 2024 (funded by KBS). Furthermore, scientific findings presented at the Kedah International Health Conference demonstrate its power as a preventive health and active aging intervention.
Myth 3: "Remote health monitoring requires complex, expensive hospital equipment that patients cannot operate." +
Scientific Reality: Through UM-WALK Sub-Project 3, stroke survivors routinely operate consumer Garmin smartwatches independently. Coupled with a custom web dashboard, participants successfully monitor resting heart rates, sleep quality, and SpO2 levels at home, giving UMMC healthcare providers actionable asynchronous recovery data.
Voices of Impact

Community & Healthcare Feedback

Reflections from senior players, stroke survivors, caregivers, and medical practitioners.

“

"Playing Walking Football at Hari Sukan Negara gave us seniors a brand-new lease on life. It's safe on our joints while keeping our passion for football alive!"

AH
Senior Tournament Player
Putrajaya Walking Football Club
“

"Before joining the WALKISTs program, I was afraid to exercise after my stroke. The weekly training restored my balance, confidence, and camaraderie with fellow survivors."

SS
Stroke Survivor Participant
UMMC Rehabilitation Cohort
“

"Combining Garmin wearables with our dynamic dashboard allows our clinical team to monitor vitals asynchronously, bridging hospital care and home-based rehabilitation."

FS
Dr. Nur Firdaus Sahran
Project Leader • FCSIT Universiti Malaya
Visual Documentation

UM-WALK Field Interventions

Capturing active training, national tournaments, wearable monitoring, and school engagement sessions.

Hari Sukan Negara Walking Football Tournament

National Tournament HSN 2024

130 senior participants competing in the first-ever national walking football championship during Hari Sukan Negara.

Stroke Survivor Training Session

WALKISTs Field Training

Stroke survivors undergoing supervised ball control, balance, and coordination drills at Padang Varsiti UM.

Garmin Smartwatch Dashboard Monitoring

Smart Wearable Tracking

Garmin smartwatch integration transmitting real-time heart rate, SpO2, and sleep quality to the UMMC web dashboard.

Walking Football for Schools 2026 Engagement

Walking Football for Schools 2026

Training coaches and engaging with PPD Bangsar Pudu to deploy walking football against childhood obesity.

Strategic Execution Matrix

UM-WALK Strategic Action Framework

Strategic ComponentProject LeaderTarget Location & Key Focus Area
UM-WALK Flagship ProgramSports Medicine & Rehab Medicine, UMNationwide Active Aging, Clinical Post-Stroke Rehabilitation & Digital Health
Sub-Project 1: Senior Healthy Aging (RU2024-HW08C)Ahmad Hazwan bin Ahmad Shushami8 States Nationwide • Official Certifications, Hari Sukan Negara & School Expansion
Sub-Project 2: Active After Stroke (RU2024-HW08A)Dr. Sakinah binti SabirinUMMC & NASAM • 24-Week WALKISTs Clinical Protocol, Balance, Cardiorespiratory VO2max
Sub-Project 3: Smart Wearables (RU2024-HW08B)Dr. Muhammad Nur Firdaus bin SahranUMMC & FCSIT • Garmin Wearables, Custom Clinical Web Dashboard, Remote Patient Telemetry
UN Sustainable Development Goals

SDG Alignment Framework

3

SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Promoting active aging, cardiovascular health, and structured physical rehabilitation for post-stroke recovery.

4

SDG 4: Quality Education

Capacity building through official walking football referee and coaching certifications, plus school engagement.

10

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Ensuring inclusive sports accessibility for older adults, stroke survivors, and individuals with functional physical limitations.

11

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities

Establishing community-led walking football clubs in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, MBPJ, and Universiti Malaya.

17

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Multi-agency synergy between UM, KBS, UMMC, Garmin Malaysia, NASAM, PPD Bangsar Pudu, and local sports NGOs.

Documentary Overview

UM-WALK Program in Motion

Watch how low-impact sports medicine and smart wearable tracking empower Malaysian seniors and stroke survivors.

Strategic Partners & Collaborators

Multidisciplinary One Health Synergy

Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS - Dana Sukan Komuniti) Jabatan Belia dan Sukan (JBS WPKL, Putrajaya, Labuan, Terengganu, Sarawak, Penang) Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Garmin Malaysia National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NASAM) Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD) Bangsar Pudu Sternen Football Club & Walking Football Associations
Universiti Malaya • UMCares Flagship Community Program

Last Update: 20/08/2026