MultiSport card as an exhibit at the “Art of Ageing” exhibition.
A MultiSport card next to the ageing simulator? This is not a random juxtaposition, but a conscious curatorial gesture as part of the “Art of Ageing” exhibition presented during Gdynia Design Days (24–29 June 2025). Although at first glance it may seem surprising, it carries a clear message: ageing is a process that is worth planning with care for health, social relationships and a sense of empowerment.
In a world where life is getting faster and longer, the “Art of Ageing” exhibition proposes to look at maturity not as a problem, but as a natural stage of life which it is worth preparing for much earlier. The exhibition does not moralise or present catastrophic visions of old age. Instead, it encourages to reflect on what old age means today and how to prepare for it.
Design in the service of empowerment
The exhibition is not limited to theoretical considerations – its strength lies in the concrete, tangible examples of design solutions that respond to the challenges of mature people. The exhibits include an ageing simulator, ergonomic cutlery designed for people with limited mobility, and technologies supporting mobility and everyday independence.
In addition to innovative solutions, there are also items well known from the everyday life of many Poles, such as the iconic MultiSport cards. In this context, they become more than just a symbol of easier access to sports facilities. They send an important message to people of all ages that regular physical activity (perceived as care for body, mind, fitness and wellbeing) should not start in retirement, but much earlier, to secure the quality of life well into old age.
Does the elixir of youth exist?
There is more talk today about the growing importance of physical activity in the context of a healthy and long life and the ageing process. Exercise is not only a form of recreation or a way to improve one’s body shape. It is an element of prevention – extremely important in an ageing society. According to the MultiSport Index 2024: Sportcrastination survey, two out of five physically active Poles treat exercise as an element of preventive health care. Nevertheless, one in three adult Poles still lead an inactive lifestyle.
– Physical activity is a universal medicine. In a sense, it works like an elixir of youth – says Prof. Ernest Kuchar, a specialist in sports medicine and infectious diseases from the Medical University of Warsaw. – Exercise slows down the ageing process at the cellular level, improves mood, sleep and even cognitive functions. It is therefore not surprising that in Scandinavian countries, doctors prescribe a dose of exercise to the patient, just as they prescribe drugs to lower high blood pressure or antibiotics. I would like a similar model to become widespread in Poland, because our population is living longer and longer, but is also ageing. And it’s not just about a long life, but also about a good one. Do you know what older people are most afraid of? Not to be a burden, or in short, not to be dependent on the care of third parties, usually immediate family. By properly dosing exercise, this risk can be reduced to a minimum.
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The future is already here
As the creators of the exhibition remind us, by 2050, every third person in Poland will be 65 years old or older. So, the future is not only around the corner. It is already happening. The “Art of Ageing” exhibition is not limited to portraying seniors. This is an exhibition about all of us – about the changes that occur regardless of age. About a body that changes. About emotions that mature. About life, which – if well designed – can last long and be good. Because the question is no longer when we will grow old, but how we want to do it.
Free training sessions with the MultiSport Foundation
But that’s not all. To encourage a daily dose of exercise, on 29 June 2025 the MultiSport Foundation organised open training sessions at the city beach in Gdynia Śródmieście.
Sandra Dobrowolska
Barbara Jastrzębska
Benefit Systems has been operating on the Polish market for over two decades and is one of the leaders in providing non-financial benefits that support employee wellbeing. The company is the creator of the MultiSport Programme, which enables physical activity in sports facilities throughout the country. Its portfolio also includes the MyBenefit cafeteria platform and the MultiLife wellbeing programme. For several years now, the company’s sports offer has been developed on foreign markets, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Croatia. The Benefit Systems Group also operates fitness clubs (in Poland it is responsible for Fabryka Formy, FitFabric, Fitness Academy, Good Luck, My Fitness Place, Saturn Fitness, StepONE, Total Fitness and Zdrofit networks). An important area of Benefit Systems activities is the promotion of an active lifestyle at every stage of life, which is why the company implements initiatives supporting physical activity of children, adults, and seniors, also as part of the MultiSport Foundation. Since 2018, Benefit Systems has been part of the global B Corp initiative, bringing together companies operating and engaging in solving the most important social problems. More information can be found at benefitsystems.pl/en.
