Men (41%) were more likely than women (31%) to play sport at least once per week.
Fitmums & Friends
Subscription-based local activities.
- Involves: social enterprise, volunteers
- Costs: £
Fitmums & Friends is a not for profit, athletics club affiliated to England Athletics. All Clubs are led by volunteers who are passionate about supporting members of their community to become more active. Fitmums & Friends has very specific systems of support which mean we can support people of all abilities from complete beginners to people who are regularly active.
A range of options are available but not all at each venue, best to check individual club details on the website. Activities include:
- Running
- Fitness Walking
- Cycling – including starter rides
- Buggy Sessions
- Junior Athletics
Initially established as a small community group focusing on post-natal depression and exercise, [Fitmum & Friends] has been supported by public health and has now grown into a thriving social enterprise, working with a children’s centre and a breast feeding peers initiative and has expanded to include a choir, a cycling group and early years sessions. It has grown from four women to over 400 members in four years and has become a highly visible dynamic community asset.
Health and wellbeing in rural areas (2017)
How it works
- Members pay an annual subscription; most activities are then free.
- People joining late in the membership year, students and second claim members can get a discount.
- No need to book a session, just turn up.
- Groups use a system called shepherding which enables different abilities to run/walk together but at their own pace.
- Coached sessions are also available at some clubs which offer an opportunity to improve technique, endurance and pace under the instruction of a trained Athletics Coach.
- Two types of buggy sessions are available – indoor and outdoor.
- Fitmums offers athletics sessions in some areas for children from 5-15 years of age up to teens.
75%+
Over three quarters of females aged 45 and over were overweight or obese.
Adult obesity, Health Survey for England (HSE) 2014
