Metro Indoor Sports in Dunedin will trial walking netball later this month.
The idea behind walking netball or walking sport is to remove barriers which may otherwise prevent people from participating in team sport, managing director Bryan McIntyre said.
''It is about offering something to people who have lost the opportunity to play sport.''
Typically Metro's target market is aged between 20 and 35 but that cut a lot of people out, whereas walking sport was designed to cater to everyone from 10 year olds to 70-plus.
''We are going to start with netball and we are going to do a family Friday.
''We are hoping parents will come down with their kids and create a nice family atmosphere on a Friday night.''
Three generations of the Dixon family have signed up for the initiative, which, if successful, will be expanded to include football.
Lyn (72), Dayna (45) and Maddy Dixon (18) will get to play with each other and that is pretty special if you ask the matriarch of the family, Lyn.
''Basically it is to get some fitness and to meet other people,
and to have some fun because it is supposed to be great fun.
''There are not many sports where you can play with your grand-daughter and your daughter,'' she said.
One of the major advantages of limiting competitors to walking is you significantly reduce the impact on the participant.
''We are putting together an advertising video ... so we can go to the market and say, 'Hey, this is what is going on and this is why it is so good,'' McIntyre said.
''We've interviewed David [Murray] from PhysioMed and he has said to us he loves the idea - people think they've got to run hard out in sport to get their exercise but actually walking is sufficient to be healthy exercise and it is actually better for you because it is low impact.''
Former Silver Fern Jodi Brown has also thrown her support behind the idea.
Walking sport was also a great way of bringing people together of varying abilities and giving them the chance to compete on a more equal footing, McIntyre said.
''People will often come here and see really fit, athletic people running really fast and so they get a bit nervous that they'll get knocked over or feel like they can't keep up. So it actually pulls all those hurdles away.
''Basically, if you can walk up stairs, you can play walking sport.
''You build up more of a sweat that you actually think you would and it just creates a real fun and social environment. In the end that is what people want to play for when they play social sport.''
There are six players in a team. The league begins on June 30.
