Why I Thank God For Fun Fit

I have always enjoyed being physically fit and, as a younger man, this was done by playing lots of sports. Mainly rugby and cricket at school and, after school, tennis, squash and golf. I could never take to exercises, workouts or running it had to be some sporting activity, and as I got older this became more difficult. I still play golf and enjoy it but it is not aerobic. So I was not getting the exercise I needed and therefore was not as fit as I would like to be. Until I found Fun Fit. Fun Fit is an amazing hour of activity which accommodates all ages, shapes, sizes and degrees of fitness in one group. The group will vary in numbers but averages around 25 to 30 people with ages from 5 to 88 years old.

A typical session will start with pretty intensive warm-up exercises. Then there will be a game of Zombies. This is pretty much like a school playground game; one person is ON and they walk with their arms stretched out in front of them like a Zombie and anyone they touch becomes a zombie. This goes on until everyone is a zombie. This gets everyone running like mad trying not to get caught, especially when there are quite a few Zombies.

Then we get divided up into four or five teams. All lined up at one end of the room. At the other end of the room, there will be a coloured plastic cone for each team and another cone halfway. We are then told what we have to do, i.e. run to the cone in the middle of the room do twenty star jumps, then run to the other cone and do twenty sit-down-squats and then run back to the team and the next person goes. The first team to finish gets points. It is all competitive. There are many, many variations of this sort of thing and everyone puts a lot of effort into them but there is also a lot of laughter.

There is boxing. Paul and another group member will have big pads on their hands and each of us in turn, wearing boxing gloves, will go through a series of punches and boxing routines that are called out. Those who aren’t boxing will be skipping. This is a tough work out and exhausting. Then there is a variation of netball. We are divided into teams, one person is in goal, a small area defined by three cones, and the other members of the team have to get the ball into the hands of the goalie. You have to pass the ball not run with it. This, also, is a very competitive game.

The session usually ends with Dodge ball. If James hits you with the ball you are out, so there is a lot of running around trying to dodge the ball. Fun Fit is relentless, with a few breaks to have a drink of water, but otherwise non stop.

There are many other things that we do but this is just to give you the flavour of a typical session. By the end of the hour, you know you have had a workout and I am so much fitter for doing them. Just in case you think this is pretty mild let me tell you about my son Linus. He lives in America, runs miles every week and has run in Marathons. The last time he was over he came with me to a Funfit session. He was completely exhausted by the end and was very stiff the following day; he couldn’t believe it.

All I can say is that I thank God for Funfit.

William Roache, English Actor and television star.