A lack of physical activity and social isolation are two of the biggest issues facing the developed world today. The way we live our lives today mean that more and more people spend time alone and struggle to get enough exercise. With the arrival of the corona virus many more of us now understand how being isolated from social contact can have a huge impact on our mental health.
The simple solution? Get to the gym right? There's lots people there getting active together! Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Many people find gyms intimidating, or don't want to commit to an expensive monthly contract and actually gyms full of people with their headphones on aren't always the best places to be social and get to know people! And as lockdown restriction ease some may not feel comfortable with the prospect of a big busy gym.
But there are lots of other options. There are thousands of independent fitness professionals running classes and groups in communities all over the UK with not a gym in site or a membership required. Whether its yoga in local hall, circuits in a church, or military fitness in a park there are a huge number of options available.
Fit2gether has been designed to make it easy for people to find and connect with fitness classes/groups in their area and meet new people.
Obesity is a massive issue in today’s society with more and more people becoming inactive and overweight.
Results for 2015 showed that 62.9% of adults were overweight or obese (67.8% of men and 58.1% of women). The prevalence of obesity is similar among men and women, but men are more likely to be overweight. A substantial proportion of obese adults have a body mass index (BMI) of well over 30.
As well as obesity social isolation is a growing issue in the developed world today with some describing it as a silent epidemic. More people move to new areas for work and study and it can be very difficult to make new friends. Joining a local group is a great way to meet new people and make new friends.
A nationwide study conducted by The Big Lunch found that 68 percent of adults in the UK say they feel lonely either often, always or sometimes. This is most acute among 18 to 34 year olds, with 83 percent of this age group experiencing loneliness. More than a third (38 percent) said they now have less interaction with people they know than they did five years ago, while a quarter (27 percent) only interact socially with others once a week or less.
Fit2gether is the brain child of James Shimmen. Always a keen gym goer he moved to a new area only for the only local gym to close down shortly after. With limited local friends and getting bored of running he found a local circuits class and it changed his approach to fitness ever since.
A coached class meant that his workouts were more varied, balanced and intense than his normal workouts. And not only that but the group atmosphere meant that he pushed himself harder to keep up with the others in the class and realised that outside of work this was the only social interaction he was getting with other people. Before long he was attending drinks arranged by the trainer and he was feeling fitter, healthier, and happier!
The idea for Fit2gether was born!
He quickly realised that he couldn’t do it alone however so he shared his idea with long-time colleague and friend Brandon Greenan. Brandon is also a believer in the power of group exercise, being a member of a local tag rugby club, and was instantly on board bringing with him the technical skills to make the dream a reality. Rachel Wyatt also lent us an invaluable hand in using her design skills to help us with our brand and logo.
A LOOOOOOT of work later and there we were. We officially went live in February 2020... That's right, we launched a service specifically designed to combat social isolation about 1 month before almost all forms of social activity became illegal across almost the whole world... suffice to say we pulled the plug not long after and took to the time to refine our service and now as restrictions begin to lift we are back to try again! We’re really proud of what we have created and believe strongly in the physical and mental benefits of being more physically and socially active. There is lots more to come including being able to book, manage and pay for classes directly through us plus an app version! Give us a follow on social media to keep up to date with all the development!