How FIT BORO helped Ged overcome his anxiety and lose 13kg
Ged Canny is a 60-year-old Service Manager from Middlesbrough who, in 2019, had a knee replacement operation due to an old sporting injury that had never been addressed. The ensuing operation and recuperation including a significant time off work took its toll on both Ged`s mental health and confidence.
Having previously been an active individual, Ged made the tough decision to not take part in physical activity after his operation to avoid any further complications. This meant stopping his hobbies such as cycling, squash, and running. However, returning to work would be a distraction for Ged to focus his mind elsewhere and be involved in social situations but the world would be hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns that would force Ged to work from home.
Whilst working from home he got used to working long hours and eating at all different hours of the day with his usual routine very much out of sync. Although, self-admittedly Ged’s diet prior to this period was not the most nutritious. This coupled with the lack of face-to-face contact with others and decreased activity found his self-confidence and overall mental health deteriorating. Consequently, Ged’s physical health suffered too with his weight increasing to 104kg and his waist size to 48 inches.
As normality started to creep back in and lockdown restrictions were being eased, Ged was adamant that he needed to do something about his health and wellbeing. He came up with an idea to organise walking football amongst his friends who had had similar experiences during the enforced lockdowns in order to combine fitness with reconnecting with people face-to-face.
Through his participation, Ged was made aware by friends of the FIT BORO programme. He signed up for the programme along with a couple of friends and another 25 like-minded participants. Each week he took part in a combination of exercise sessions and nutritional workshops delivered by coaches from the MFC Foundation. Despite the anxiety of his previous knee injury, Ged`s confidence grew over the course of the programme and he pushed himself to improve, achieve and excel in his goals.
Average weight loss statistics for the FIT FANS programme are impressive and exceed those of many other programmes. On average women lose well over 3kg and men over 5.5kg by the end of the 12 weeks. We also have evidence that lifestyle change and weight loss are sustained over the following 12 months. More than 90% of men and 85% of women lose weight during the programme with many losing a clinically significant amount. Our data shows FIT FANS helps people to increase physical activity, reduce sedentary time, leading to weight loss, a significant reduction in reduction in blood pressure and improvement in self-reported mental wellbeing measures.
Over the period of the course, Ged regularly set himself goals in order to achieve what he wanted; one example being replacing his favourite food, crisps, with healthier options. Although Ged initially struggled through fear of repercussions of his injury, he quickly proved a popular member of the group, helping to encourage and motivate others.
Andrew Dixon, a friend of Ged`s said “Ged has done so well on the programme and has really motivated me to stick with the course. It is so much easier doing the workouts with like-minded people, we all look forward to catching up with one another every week. With Ged`s increased fitness levels the only problem now is our Walking football sessions are becoming faster and faster”.
Although FIT FANS helped Ged lose 13kg to become healthier and more active, it also had secondary effects on reducing his blood pressure.
Ged said: “I would recommend the FIT BORO programme to anyone as it has been an amazing experience for me and helped to improve my life both physically and mentally. I have found exercising with like-minded individuals really motivating as we are all doing it for the same reasons. I really look forward to seeing everyone every Monday night!”.
Paul South, the Health Coordinator at MFC Foundation, said “It has been wonderful to see how well Ged has done on the course. Despite reservations due to previous injuries Ged has grown in confidence and really achieved significant changes both physically and mentally. As well as increasing in confidence Ged has also inspired others to do the same, ensuring a team-like mentality on the course whereby people look forward to attending each week”.
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