Holistic Champions
Building strength and connections for men’s mental health and wellbeing
Funding through the Find Your Active fund and in partnership with Fusion Lifestyle, Holistic Champions exercise classes for men were set up in Braintree to help combat social isolation and improve physical and mental health.
Held at both Halstead and Witham Leisure Centres, the sessions were aimed primarily at men who might not have been exercising regularly or were socially prescribed by a community health agency to improve social connections and mental wellbeing.
The sessions were conceived with the idea of combining the science-based benefits of physical exercise and movement with the wisdom and healing of Eastern practices such as breathwork and mindfulness. Body work was geared towards building strength and fitness levels as well as increasing functional mobility, whilst the holistic aspects aimed to reduce stress, anxiety and enhance positive mental health and wellbeing.
Prior to the inception of the sessions, a Fusion customer survey was sent out via email to help identify if there was a need for a group like this in the local area, and if so, what people would like to get out of the classes. It was highlighted that the top themes for the sessions were resistance training, meditation, studio classes, yoga and nutrition, and that the top reasons for attending would be to improve mental health, social interaction and helping to focus on themselves. Following this feedback, a 10-week programme was set up in March 2024.
Fusion members and centre guests could book onto the classes but a reserve of ten places at each centre would be held open for referral clients who could access the programme at their chosen centre for free. At the end of the 10-week programme, the referral clients had the option of being able to join Fusion as a full-anytime member under the GP Referral rate of £28.25 per month, or to continue attending sessions of their choice as a casual Pay-As-You-Go member with Fusion (with a 30% discount from any booking made).
Participants who were referred by health partners and community agencies, were encouraged to attend at least one out of the two morning sessions every week at the centre of their choice. The first session utilised natural bodywork, boxing and resistance training, whereas the second focused on the flow of yoga and breathwork. At the end of each session, participants had the opportunity to give feedback and connect with others in a relaxed and inclusive environment.
There were a number of learnings following the initial 10-week programme. Following consultation, it was decided that the classes would continue once a week in the evenings, to allow men to access the sessions after work. Throughout the programme, Active Essex built their relationship with Fusion and gave advice on how the funding could be spent. The programme relaunched as ‘Holistic Champions’, combining both strength and mobility training, as well as yoga and mindfulness practices, and ran for 12 weeks out of each site from June 2024.
Key Learnings
Importance of Consultation
Provides an indicator of potential uptake and preferences to inform choices around the delivery
Community Voice
Listen to what customers and the local community are requesting
Quality of Participants
Enthusiasm is more importance over attendance numbers, as this will likely have a lasting impact
Appetite of Group
More research needs to be done into how male-only groups can be sustainable
