Country AFL footy fans are being given the opportunity to get off the sidelines and onto the field to train like their favourite footy player.
The program is an extension of the Aussie-FIT (AFL fans in training) free 12-week, healthy lifestyle training program for men.
The Aussie-FIT program was adapted from a UK program for soccer fans and was designed by a team of health, psychology, sport, and nutrition academics at Curtin University.
The rural Aussie-fit coordinator Matt McDonald said the program targets men 35 – 65 years old with a BMI of 28kg/m2 or higher.
Mr McDonald said that the program was created because there is nothing out there like this program that is designed just for men.
The success of the session comes from utilising the men’s passion for footy as an incentive to met others and lose weight, Mr McDonald said.
The men participate in twelve, 90-minute sessions, that are a mix of lifestyle changes such as nutrition and setting goals as well as a physical component.
Each participant has sessions tailored to their individual needs and fitness level, starting light and increasing intensity over the 12 weeks, Mr McDonald said.
Organisers say the goal of Aussie-FIT is to introduce long-term lifestyle changes that the participants can maintain in the future.
Northam will be the first to trial the regional program with two sessions running on Monday and Tuesday nights starting on June 21.
The program is free, run by local football coaches and places are limited to just 15 men in each program.
Two more regional programs will be run in Albany, and Bunbury will be run in September 2021.
To register your interest or find out more information, visit the Aussie-fit’s website or Facebook page