18 April 2019
“They didn’t treat us as unfit people. They treated us as equals. They saw us as a group of guys prepared to come, listen and change.”
As we prepare for the third round of our RuFIT-NZ programme, the real-life effects on those involved in the first two rounds are started to become noticeable. “I am getting so much out of it… I really felt like I was getting fitter, stronger,” says one participant from the programme we ran in partnership with the University of Otago and the Pulse Highlanders.
For many people, there are a lot of barriers to beginning any sort of fitness programme. One of the big ones can be wanting to be a part of a team and having that support around you on your journey. This is why we specifically designed a group training programme. For one of our participants, this helped him stay on track for the 12 weeks. “It feels like you’re in a team again like you were when you were playing rugby. It actually makes you feel you’ve got a team of 12 guys so don’t let anyone down and let’s all do it.” Making sure that those around you are the right people is key as well. Our groups are full of like-minded men who don’t care about size or people’s fitness ability. “We were all there supporting each other to achieve our own goal but as a group.”
Once you’ve started, the momentum builds and helps any training programme become a habit. “It helped me mentally and as well as physically and so I was a lot happier and I felt like I was doing something. I was a lot happier.” Positive feedback and noticeable results can happen early with the right plan. Also, the mental benefits of physical training are one of those added extras that you aren’t expecting but help reinforce that you are on the right track.
Interested in joining? We are recruiting men to train with the team behind the BNZ Crusaders. Find out more and sign up here.
Also, we are actively looking to expand to other teams and clubs across the country so if there is another team that you’d like us to work with, email us and let us know.