Element Fitness NKMT September Sweatfest
A fitness and running event with the aim to inspire people to move and spread the message of ‘Prevent the Preventable’.
When planning this event my driving force was spreading the message outlined by the trust of ‘Prevent the Preventable’, fundraising was a priority as always, but this event felt different and had a purpose greater than sponsorship and totals in the bank. To kick off September, Rex (Element Fitness owner and coach) and I filmed an Instagram live - this conversation ranged from the importance of consistency in exercise to tips and guidance on how to make exercise part of your life - all against the backdrop of both Rex’s and my own philosophy on helping people move more to benefit their long term overall health. We touched on how being part of a community can be a real motivator to get started and for some, the driving force behind carrying on and that this was our hope for the event at the end of September. Our parting message - join the challenge, come and have some fun whilst working out, and kick start that journey with exercise.
The event itself comprised of two challenges - an epic workout in the gym programmed and led by myself and Rex, followed by a run - a choice of 5km or 10km depending on your personal goal, fitness level, and quite frankly - energy left in the tank after wallballing and burpeeing for 50 minutes in the gym. The idea behind both challenges was to provide a level of challenge to push participants, a varied and fun partner workout to motivate and engage, followed by a running challenge to potentially kick start participants’ running journey. In the lead-up to the event, we added a weekly run club to our schedule at the gym to support people in gaining confidence in running and providing a community to do so. The positive impact of this was seen in the sign-ups and this weekly run club has continued post-event with a number of people continuing to join - for me this demonstrates the power of community and support in creating habits that will have a positive impact on your health, including lowering blood pressure and potentially reducing the chances of suffering a life style related brain hemorrhage.
The workout was a huge success - seeing partners support each other through some serious cardio and strength work - from ski ergs to the aptly named ‘death bike’ participants put a real shift in blasting through calories in an attempt to beat their opponents by securing the highest total of reps and calories in the workout. This competition acted as a real motivator for all, with some on-brand medals up for grabs for the winning and runner-up pairs in each workout. Rex and I also looked throughout the day for examples of dedication and commitment to making fitness part of their life - also looking for people who had developed their consistency in training outside the event as another factor - celebrating and rewarding those who show up regularly and epitomise our ethos of making exercise and fitness part of their life.
Highlights of the event for me personally were as follows:
Seeing the inclusivity of a gym where everyone is welcome - the age of people taking part in the event was huge, and the number of women training - from varying age ranges, pregnant and postnatal - all showing how important exercise was to them.
The support from the community both in terms of sign-ups and people taking part - but also in terms of the money raised - a percentage of this from family and friends supporting those taking part on the day.
Branded Merch by Punch and Fury - it was amazing to see both the Element Fitness brand and that of the NKMT come to life through the merch people were wearing on the day. This community project has supported us through creating these mega t-shirts and bags which are still available to buy on this link.
Raising over £2000 for the trust - what an effort from everyone involved and those who supported from afar - we couldn’t have done this without you.
A key aspect of my role as an NKMT Champion is to continue to spread our messages and mission far and wide, it is to extend the reach of the charity and cast the net wider in the hope that we can make a change and impact people’s lives. I felt this event did that - bringing people together with the common goal of using community to motivate people to move and to educate people that moving more, implementing regular exercise and movement into your life - can, quite literally save your life. Even if this message reached one person we will be one step closer to making that change.
A huge thank you to the Elements team who supported this event from the start and who worked tirelessly with me on all aspects of the event - from logistics to goody bag treats to the mega programming we tackled on the day - Rex, Katy, and Jen - we appreciate your support massively. Another huge shout out to all Element Fitness family and members - you really demonstrated the power of community both by joining the event and showing your support through sponsorship and donations - we are extremely thankful for this support! Finally, thanks to Paul, whose photos capture the spirit of the event brilliantly - check out his Insta and website for more of his work.
Useful Resources
Element Fitness - an awesome inclusive south London gym - check it out for some super fun workouts!
HMHE - head to my website to check out weekly newsletters promoting all things health and fitness. This issue was all about the importance of community and the event itself.
Buy some branded merch here and continue to support our fundraising effort or visit our JustGiving link to donate.
Iona Mumby Schwerin: Personal Training and Running Support
Instagram: humans_move_humans_eat