Bristol Rovers

Before the launch of our 2nd cohort of Fans4Life in January 2015 we are letting you know about the project from the viewpoint of one of our attendees, Marc Radford.

The Fans 4 Life programme has been run by a variety of partners, centered around Bristol Rovers Community Trust and its Study Centre and here is a resumé of its first half; weeks 1 to 5:

Adam explained a rough but striking goal of Fans 4 Life; to add six seasons to our lifespan.

We loved Adam’s approachability and capacity to make us feel at home and not in any way bemused by what was lying ahead for us. We had our vital statistics taken in Week 1 taken which in itself was an eye-opener for us all. Height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol were taken by a medical team; little did we know how much more we’d understand about these 9 weeks further down the line!

Already there was a good sense of togetherness and camaraderie amongst us. After the talks on the physiology side of things, we met Mark Hammond at Golden Hill, with Ben accompanying us.

In a similar vein to Adam, Mark really put himself down to our level, making all that we did accessible to all of us and at the same time not the easiest! To kick off Week 2,  Ben lead a very informative session about expectations and all the benefits of staying active- there were so many to mention but even the ability to focus, relax and then sleep, not to forget a healthy heart burns more calories anyway.

The clear effects of physical activity and how it impact on body and mind hit home hard for me! Adam and Mark were on hand to reinforce the presentation as and when. 

We all set our SMART-targeted goals. Mine were simple but realistic: to go to the gym at least 5 times a fortnight, to follow Mark’s toning instructions at least 5 times a week and finally to get my weight under the 18 stone mark; all of these by New Year.

We then we set off to so Mark could reinforce last week’s work. Each week added a little more in intensity and effort. Every single time we twisted and turned, Mark would explain why this was of benefit, in clear and simple terms accessible to all of us supporters. Week 3 discussed the dangers of “Healthy Eating” and week 4 in the same tune unpicked the hidden ingredients in our food.

What to look for on our food labels, led by Sue the dietician, made things plain and simple; do YOU know what is LOW per 100g, in Fat , Saturated Fat, Total Sugars and Salt?

Us fit for Lifers certainly do now! Week 5 put theory into practice and we had great fun making simple and widely differing healthy snacks; thanks Elizabeth for going the extra mile for us!

The camaraderie and banter between us “Fit 4 Lifers” was plain for all to see!

If you would like to be part of Fans4Life and perhaps add six seasons to your life contact adam@bristolroverscommunity.org.uk or visit www.fans4life.com