MFC Foundation’s free and very popular fitness programme FIT BORO returns to the Riverside on Monday May 17.
Sessions are held early in the evening and you get a free FIT BORO t-shirt when you enrol.
If previous versions of this programme are anything to go by, this won’t be something that will just look after your physical health, it will by its very nature look after your mental wellbeing too.
Friendships have been formed in both the male and female classes, growing in a relaxed environment where the only pressure applied is your own pressure of expectation.
While this won’t apply to everyone, there have been some spectacular success stories such as Alan Gregory. Alan had suffered from M.E (chronic fatigue syndrome) for 25 years and was unable to do little or any exercise. An annual health M.O.T with his GP revealed his blood cholesterol readings were high and unless he lost weight and became more physically active then he would have to go on AtorvaStatin (medication to prevent cardiovascular disease) to lower it.
Alan, a Boro fan who until Covid-19 restrictions were enforced hadn’t missed a home game since 1983, joined FIT BORO and lost over two stones on the programme, continuing the work afterwards taking his overall loss to in excess of three stones. His mental state improved markedly. Don’t just take his word for it, his wife, Jayne observed: “I am not just saying this because I am married to Alan, but I think the progress he made over three months is amazing. He felt down and thought that he would never get any level of fitness back and he was starting to feel his age. He now feels like he has been transported back to his 20`s and is feeling fitter than he ever was due to the progress he has made on the course.”
Kevin Robinson had, “the fire in my belly re-lit” when he re-joined the programme following a testing time in his personal life where his wife underwent surgery and her father passed away.
Kevin adds: “I joined for some inspirational tips to kick start me getting fitter and losing weight. Over the first few weeks I was both happy and inspired and quickly started to see my weight head in the right direction for the first time in many years. Being held at the Riverside was a bonus and brought a smile to my face each Monday evening. Both the classroom sessions and the workouts.
“What I had not expected was the friendships struck up with others on the course. All attending a Boro game together, walking around the Riverside area chatting with like-minded people.”
If you’re interested in joining FIT BORO, e-mail Paul at paul.south@mfcfoundation.co.uk