Fit Fans

Argyle Community Trust are helping are helping fans to improve their health and lifestyle by joining FIT FANS, a FREE 12-week programme that is delivered at Home Park.

The initiative, launched in January 2020, aims to use the magnetism of football to tackle obesity levels in over 10,000 fans in the UK.

Starting next week, the Trust will be delivering the programme weekly, encouraging a change in lifestyle through weight loss, physical activity, diet and general wellbeing.

Initially involving 46 Argyle fans attending health and nutrition classes at Home Park last year, the 12-week programme delivered incredible results, including an impressive collective weight loss of 356kg and a grand total of 322cm in waist circumference.

The FIT FANS programme has currently been adopted at 30 clubs around England, with backing from Sport England.

Now in its second year, the Argyle Community Trust are inviting males between the ages of 35-65 with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28+ to sign up to the free, healthy lifestyle programme this summer.

The weekly session will show individuals how to:

• Improve their eating habits through portion control, helping to adopt fruit, vegetables and high fibre foods into individuals’ diet
• Prioritise physical activity into their daily lives- participants receive weekly exercise sessions at Home Park, following a personal pedometer-based walking programme
• Trial behavioural-changing techniques to prioritise activity and improving dietary processes. These include regular self-monitoring of their weight, pedometer step counts and setting SMART goals to make changes that can be sustained long term.

One participant, Adrian Brewer, lost a whopping 30kg across the 12-week programme, explaining how his choices to enrol changed his life dramatically.

He said: “The programme has helped me to reach a number of goals. I am so much fitter and can even do 20-plus mile bike rides. Whilst the programme was not as such a competition, I have treated it as such as that is my own method of motivating myself. Having other members around and plenty of people to support you has also been great, and I have met many people who will remain friends after the event.”

Alongside staggering weight loss results, 96% of group members reported a positive change in their mental well-being, and 7 in 10 participants noticed a significant improvement in anxiety levels.

For more information, or to register your interest, please email will.hickey@pafc.co.uk,  or click here FIT FANS - EFL Trust.