Train Like PELE and Lose the BELLY!
Links Park Community Trust, in association with Montrose Football Club and the SPFL Trust are providing an opportunity for local football fans to get fit, lose their bellies and get behind the scenes at their local club, all for free!
The ‘Football Fans in Training’ (FFIT) initiative is coming to Montrose, having been rolled out across the country in previous years with resounding success.
Scottish footballer supporters of 13 SPFL clubs are for the first time celebrating a loss – after shedding almost 2,000kg combined thanks to the success of a new training programme.
FFIT helps male football fans feel better and live a healthier lifestyle by losing weight, taking more exercise and improving their diet. The initiative, funded by the Scottish Government, is free for participants and has run for three seasons at Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs.
Among the highlights from recently published programme results are:
St Johnstone fans managed to achieve the greatest mean weight loss, shifting an average of 8kg (or 8.3% of their total weight) over a 12-month period
Celtic and Rangers were the top two in total weight loss over 12 months, with their fans losing 271.1kg and 213.3 kg respectively
The average participant of all clubs was a 47-year-old male, achieving 5.6kg (5%) weight loss and 7.3cm from his waistline over the 12-month period
Combined, all participants lost a collective 23m from their waistlines, more than double the distance from a penalty spot to the goal-line
Billy Singh, General Manager of the SPFL Trust, which worked in partnership with clubs to encourage their involvement in the programme, said: “These just might be the best set of results of the season. All participating clubs should be congratulated on the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to help achieve these fantastic outcomes and the SPFL Trust is very proud of the role it has played.
“Of course, the greatest vote of congratulations must go to each and every SPFL supporter who has participated and enjoyed a life-changing experience thanks to their drive and determination. They should all be very proud of themselves and we hope they act as inspirations for other supporters to follow suit.”
The Lancet published an article detailing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the programme, showing that the men who participated in FFIT lost more than 9 times as much weight as men who had not done the programme. As well as losing weight when they were on the 12 week programme, nearly 40% of men who participated in the programme maintained a weight loss of at least 5% of their original body weight a full 12 months later, an outcome associated with lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and other health problems. The study also found that FFIT had other benefits - it helped men reduce their waist size, body fat and blood pressure. Participants also increased their physical activity levels, and improved their diets and mental wellbeing.
FFIT is a free 12 week physical activity and healthy eating programme designed to help men become more active, improve their diets and lose weight, and to maintain these changes in the long term. Each week men take part in a training session at their club’s home ground and receive advice and tips about how to eat more healthily, how to fit more physical activity into their daily lives and how to make these lifestyle changes for the long term.
Over the following 9 months, men receive regular email reminders about maintaining the changes they have made during FFIT and are invited to attend a group reunion at the club.
Links Park Community Trust (LPCT), a local charity based at the home of Montrose FC, deliver a range of innovative programmes within each of their three strands, being sport, education and health. LPCT will lead upon the free FFIT initiative, on behalf of Montrose FC.
Are you a man aged 35-65 years-old? Do you have a waist/belly size of at least 38 inches? Do you want to lose weight, have a healthier lifestyle and ultimately be fitter?
If so, sign up for the FFIT initiative, which is due to start in March, by visiting spfltrust.org.uk
For more information on the work of LPCT, including this initiative, you can contact Project Manager Peter Davidson on 01674 677582 or visit www.linksparkct.org.uk
Montrose Football Club’s suffered their second heavy defeat in a row as East Fife overcame a poor opening 45 minutes to record a deserved 3 - 0 victory over George Shields side a Links Park on Saturday.
Montrose Football Club failed to build on their victory over Annan Athletic when they suffered a heavy defeat at Hampden Park on Saturday.
Montrose have loaned out three strikers to junior sides until the end of the season. 20 year old Danny Cavanagh who joined in the summer from Lochee United has joined Downfield, Kieran Sturrock who recently returned from a loan spell with Lochee United has joined St Andrews United managed by former Montrose player Phil McGuire while 17 year old Declan Milne has joined Aberdeen junior outfit Glentanar. 
Montrose Football Club battled against the elements and visitors Annan Athletic to record a badly needed victory at Links Park on Saturday.
