Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment in people aged 60 years and older. As physical activity benefits people with AMD, within Can you see the future? project, a prospective study of people aged 65 years and older with low vision due to AMD was conducted before, during, and after a twice-weekly empowerment-based physical activity intervention (EPI). The aim was to explore the experiences of living with AMD and participating in an EPI. Initially, there were 12 participants, nine of whom took part in the EPI. Their main concern Perpetuating the ability to live life as usual was resolved by facing the fact and living life as usual. The theory Maintaining the ability to live life as usual was the participants’ wish, which required acceptance of the progression of the disease, self-acceptance of the new me, and that the new life needs to be lived a little more carefully. The strategies used were navigating the new normal, trusting own abilities, and interdepending. Through the EPI, participants experienced increased social connectedness, improved self-efficacy, and physical capacity. The experiences from this project can provide important knowledge for the development of different solutions for people with visual impairment. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment. These impacts include loss of social activities, decreased functional independence, and reduced physical activity.

The purpose of the study was to explore the participants' experiences and meanings expressed by people with AMD participating in an empowerment-based intervention.

Methods: The study has an explorative design based on ethnographic observations and informal interviews during the Empowerment-Based Physical Activity Intervention (EPI). The intervention embraced empowerment as a process and adopted the reflective equilibrium community empowerment approach. The EPI was carried out over six months and comprised adapted physical activity and social activities twice a week—furthermore, individual health coaching on three occasions. Nine women and two men aged 70-87 years old with AMD in Sweden participated in EPI. Field notes of the observations were analysed using a thematic method with an abductive approach.

Findings: The analysis resulted in five themes: a) Feeling seen and included, b) Having a sense of security, c) Developing physical skills, d) Feeling meaningful and social connectedness, and e) Feeling increased motivation.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, EPI has been a resource for the participants' well-being and development. The findings also filled a gap in the research literature and may provide insights into the potential of creative supervised, adapted physical activity in groups, health coaching, and socialising.