Keywords: Elderly, Sports activities, Healthy Improving، Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges of older sports and to present effective strategies for the elderly to enjoy sports. From the point of view of purpose, it was of practical and exploratory type. The statistical population in the present study included researchers and experts in the fields of sports science, psychology, sociology, sports veterans, physicians and nurses, as well as members of aging organizations in the country. Samples were purposefully selected for semi-structured interviews and the interviews continued until the stage of theoretical saturation, theoretical saturation was obtained after interviewing 25 people. Data analysis was performed based on qualitative method. The results show that 23 open codes for challenges were defined in the form of 3 sub-codes, which include: cultural and lifestyle barriers, environmental and facility barriers, individual and personality barriers. Also, 41 open codes for strategies were defined in the form of 5 sub-codes, which include: program measures, extension measures, motivational measures, legal measures, and infrastructure measures. Therefore, according to the obtained results, it can be concluded that the challenges directly and indirectly reduce the participation of the elderly in sports, so it is suggested to pay attention to the principles and basic and structural measures in order to achieve the goals of senior sports. And encouraged the elderly with strategies such as: holding sports festivals, especially for the elderly, training, coaching and sports experts for the elderly, establishing sports centers for the elderly, diversifying sports services for the elderly to join sports participation