Energy Fitness Professionals and EFC First in County to Make Teens Fit! April 2005

Corporate

Press Release
19th April 2005

Energy Fitness Professionals and EFC
First in County to Make Teens Fit!

Following the recent national debate on kids’ obesity based on bad diet and reluctance to exercise, the Fitness Management provider Energy Fitness Professionals have liaised with schools in Hampshire to launch a Teen Fit programme tailored to individual schools and their pupils. The aim is to make exercise fun and show the pupils alternative ways to exercise, outside the school’s PE programme, as well as introduce them to Healthy Living as a way of being. The company’s public gym in Aldershot, Energy Fitness Centre (EFC) is the venue for the Teen Fit programme. The programme has been designed by the Gym Manager Grace Austin at EFC. The programme is regularly reviewed and re designed to fit individual schools’ needs.

This is the first partnership of this kind in the county, with a total of 7 schools so far declared interest in taking part. The first one currently doing the programme is Wavell School, North Camp, Farnborough.

The Teen fit programme takes place over 9 weeks, and generally consists of a group of 20 pupils at a time per programme. It begins with a personalised Health check and exercise programme by a fitness professional at EFC. As the pupils are often teenagers, still not in their adulthood, there are elements to take into consideration when designing their exercise programme so not to overload the still growing body, but still maximise its potential and increase metabolism. The gym exercise programme is varied with different types of classes like circuits and spinning, on a weekly basis, introducing the pupils to a wide range of workouts. Half way through the 9 week programme, the pupils take a Fitness test to assess their progress, and other exercise elements like yoga and stretching are now introduced. This is followed with a motivational part and classes that targets certain muscle areas. There is also a discussion about diet at the end of the Teen Fit programme.
Prior to commencing the programme, the pupils fill in forms where they describe their self esteem, self confidence, how they like their body etc. This form is then re introduced at the end of the programme and the different answers evaluated to measure the impact of the Teen Fit programme.

The school offer the Teen Fit programme to the pupils, targeting pupils that are more likely to opt out of PE in later school years. Very often this tends to be girls.
The programme is completely voluntary for the pupils and is designed to encourage them to enjoy exercise and showing them the different alternatives available. It also introduces them to some activities they may never have done before, nor maybe thought themselves capable of doing, therefore providing a massive confidence boost when they realise that they can. The thought behind the Teen Fit programme is that some form of exercise will become a part of the pupils’ lives when they leave school and that they will be aware of the ways they can be healthier.

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Editor’s note; For more EFC info please contact Grace Austin at EFC; 01252-333189
For the other side of the story, what the school wants, please contact;

Richard Francis
Partnership Development Manager
North East Hampshire School Sport Partnership.
Tel: 01252 341256 / 07985414224

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