A group of die-hard Bolton Wanderers fans have lost an astonishing 57 kilograms of weight between them after just eight weeks of being involved in the Community Trust’s FIT TROTTERS project.
The group of 22 men, aged between 35 and 65, signed up to the programme in January with the intention of improving their fitness and shedding some pounds.
And it has proved to be an instant success with the loss equivalent to the same weight as the Trust’s Office Administrator Jonathan Mills (pictured).
The FIT FANS national programme launched in January 2020 at 30 Clubs in England, and aims to use the magnetism of football to tackle obesity levels in over 10,000 fans across the UK.
FIT FANS is the operating name in England and Wales for Football Fans in Training, which was created in Scotland by the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Professional Football League Trust.
The programme shows individuals how to:
- Improve their eating habits by reducing portion sizes and swapping fatty and sugary foods for fruit, vegetables and high fibre foods.
- Achieve at least 45 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. They receive weekly exercise sessions at their club for 12 weeks, and follow a personal pedometer based walking programme that encourages them to fit physical activity into their daily lives
- Use tried-and-tested behaviour change techniques to become more active and improve their diet. These include regular self-monitoring of their weight and pedometer step counts and setting SMART goals to make changes that can be sustained long term.
The 12-week programme gives fans unprecedented access to their Club and a look behind the scenes.
Jack Barnes from Bolton Wanderers Community Trust said: “The first block of FIT TROTTERS has been a great success so far. It’s fantastic to see the results that the project is having on individuals, not only on losing weight, but also improving their physical and mental wellbeing.”
The project will be running two future 12-week blocks this year, with the next cohort being female only, starting on the Wednesday 29th April. The Community Trust is now recruiting for this next block.
For more information about the FIT TROTTERS project or to learn more about the Community Trust, please call 01204 673 790 or email Jack Barnes (jbarnes@bwct.org.uk)