Active and Healthy Aging: An Interview with Miguel Sendim, Head of Nishi-no-Michi

Flavia L. Lamattina

Portugal is currently the fourth most aged country in the world and lags in quality-of-life indicators for those over 65. In response, the Portuguese government launched the Active and Healthy Aging Action Plan this year, marking a significant milestone for both Portugal and Europe. We spoke with Miguel Sendim, founder and current coordinator of Nishi no Michi, an association in the Oeste region that brings together professionals focused on gentle movement and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Miguel, could you tell us how your interest in sports began? Miguel Sendim: I have 50 years of experience in martial arts, particularly Karate, Tai Chi Chuan, and Aikido, having served as Training Director and President of the national federation for Aikido. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the army and a sports coach, I was responsible for the physical training of several “generations” of military personnel and martial artists. I also have training in psychology and complementary therapies such as shiatsu. My current mission is to bring life to the gentle movement project, which is open to anyone who wants to age healthily and with quality of life through an organization called Nishi no Michi.
What is Nishi no Michi? Nishi no Michi was born out of the desire of sports professionals in the Oeste region to combine efforts focused on promoting healthy aging, even for those who have never engaged in physical activity or who need more personalized training. The concept is to contribute to active and healthy aging through the arts and disciplines of gentle movement and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. We welcome any sports discipline, provided it aligns with this objective. Nishi no Michi has a partnership with the Portuguese Aikido Federation and is developing a collaboration with the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, initiated with my participation in 2023 in the European DEMOLA project, an initiative rooted in Finland that promotes the connection between educational institutions, companies, and sports organizations. We aim to expand our reach by also working with healthcare professionals.

How do you plan to achieve this? Recently, I participated in a conference on the EUPAP, the European Union Physical Activity Prescription program, which also has a counterpart in Portugal, called Prescrição de Atividade Física. Currently, there is a disconnect between healthcare professionals and sports in general (even in terms of basic maintenance), with a trend towards prescribing physical activity primarily in physiotherapy clinics and gyms. We would like to expand this and offer alternatives that provide additional benefits in more advanced aspects of aging. The idea is not to broaden the scope of so-called “adaptive sports,” but to create new forms of movement that fit the specific possibilities of each person, whether they are athletes or not, allowing them to express themselves in their way, with their excellence, bringing quality of life or, why not say, bringing their way of being in life. We already have excellent instructors promoting these activities, such as Michel Martin, who teaches PPI – Individual Prevention and Protection (a form of self-defense rooted in Aikido), Patrick and Christine Briel, who teach Tai Chi Chuan, teacher Cíntia Soci, also with Tai Chi, circus arts teacher Basile Pujebet, Joana Santos, who teaches Yoga, and Lurdes Salgado, who developed “Move to Connect” (an intriguing discipline involving movement and body psychotherapy). Our groups are diverse and engaging, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds, including those who have never participated in any physical activity before. This creates a welcoming environment where everyone can discover the joys of staying active. Beyond the physical benefits, it’s also a great opportunity to meet new people, form friendships, and enjoy the sense of community that comes with being part of a group dedicated to health and well-being.

For those interested in practicing gentle movement, where can they go? Currently, the project is locally tied to the Sociedade Columbófila Caldense in Caldas da Rainha, where we offer “No Fall Aikido” classes, and to the Rainha Dona Leonor pavilion, where Michel Martin teaches PPI, both at very low cost. We also hold activities in Parque D. Carlos I, such as Tai Chi Chuan classes on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, free of charge. Additionally, we offer activities in the localities of Gaeiras and A-dos-Negros. This year, we participated in the Lagoa Festival in Foz do Arelho and held events in the gardens of the Arts Center (as part of Falo’Mexer), with activities planned for August 31st. We are planning a special movement and sound event for next year, with the participation of the Opus 28 string quartet. We share all our activities on our Facebook page (just search for “Nishi no Michi”), where those interested can follow updates and join our events.

Lastly, could you tell us about the activities planned for this month? In September, we will participate in the European Week of Sport, and we also have an event on September 28th at the Arts Center here in Caldas. This day will be dedicated not only to sports activities but also to workshops for all ages. The idea of this event is to allow people to try new activities and become interested in them, knowing that the gentle movement initiative is for everyone, regardless of age. I invite everyone to come and participate.■