NEXT BLOCK OF FIT COBBLERS ABOUT TO BEGIN

The Northampton Town Community Trust are excited to announce the start date of the next Fit Cobblers block. Fit Cobblers (also known as Fit Fans nationally) is a FREE health programme for men and women aged 35-65 who are looking to lose weight, get fitter and lead a more active life.

Is Fit Cobblers for you?
• Are you aged 35-65?
• Do you have a BMI of 28+? (use our BMI Calculator to check below)
• Does your waist measure more than 38in males or 31in females?

What to expect?
• 12 FREE weekly sessions at your local football club
• Meet other football fans on the same journey as you
• Learn how to make better choices to improve your lifestyle and health
• Be supported through your journey by club staff

Since delivering our first session in March 2019, we have engaged over 50 people and every participant that has completed the course has lost weight and created healthier habits for life. The last block that we delivered finished in April this year and the group lost a total of 72.3kg over the course of the 12 weeks, with one participating losing 10.7kg which is 10% of his own bodyweight.

More Fit Cobblers block 3 statistics
• 100% of participants who completed the programme lost weight
• 24 total participants engaged
• 15 participants completed the programme
• 10 participants lost over 4kg
• 5 participants lost over 5% of their bodyweight
• Highest single participant weight lost- 10.7kg
• Highest % of bodyweight loss- 10.56%

However, Fit Cobblers isn’t just about losing the weight for the short -term goals, we look to create small changes and adjustments to your routine which in turn will lead to the big sustainable change for the longer term. As a result, we would like to introduce Andrew, a Fit Cobblers Participant who completed the last block and here he gives his account of his habits before joining Fit Cobblers:

“I would say that I was very much stuck in a rut," he said.

"I had no real drive or energy and not a lot of desire to try anything different. I wouldn’t have described myself as very overweight but did realise that my health and fitness was only going to decline with age unless something changed. Food-wise, I was very much a comfort eater. If I had a bad day at work, I would most certainly have snacked on, for example, a sandwich before my evening meal, or would fix something up late at night after everyone else had gone to bed.”

What did Andrew take back from the programme? “Whilst still going to the weekly sessions at the stadium, we covered food groups, calorie intakes, making healthy food choices and eating plans. On the fitness side, we held weekly sessions of circuit training, at a basic level, which was extremely enjoyable. Away from the sessions, we were encouraged to raise our step counts. To date, I have lost over 5kg, from a starting point of 97kg. The current Covid-19 situation has made it difficult to calculate how much of an impact it has had on my overall health, but I would say that I am definitely much more active at home. Sitting down on the sofa now feels quite alien.”

What has Andrew noticed about himself? “The biggest difference I have personally found is with my eating habits. One of my biggest challenges was with trying new foods, chiefly because of the textures, not necessarily because of taste. Being on this programme has helped me to challenge this head-on. I now eat more fruit, nuts and salad now, and less chocolate and sugary foods. I do feel that my mindset is more positive? I am certainly much more conscious about food and calorie intake, and I am really keen to get outside more when the situation allows.”

We are now recruiting participants for the next FREE 12 week block of Fit Cobblers Due to start on Thursday October 1st from 7.30-9.30pm at the PTS Academy Stadium in Carr's Bar. The sessions will take place every Thursday night for all 12 weeks.

If you think this is the programme for you then please visit ntfccommunity.co.uk/fitterfans or contact the project officer Akshay Mistry at akshay.mistry@ntfc.co.uk

Community