Hockey Fans in Training
Hockey Fans In Training® (Hockey FIT®) was established in 2014 to address worldwide increases in obesity and chronic disease. The program was built on our foundational work on prescriptive exercise and healthy eating (Healthesteps®), a signature program of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Canadian Diabetes Strategy in 2013. Hockey FIT® began with men who were hockey fans and at-risk for chronic disease; it was designed to help them lose weight, increase their physical activity and eat better. It now engages both men and women through sport fandom to build a healthier lifestyle – through healthy eating, physical activity, exercise, nature, and much more! Participants in the Hockey FIT® program are provided with the tools and resources to achieve a healthy weight and make positive changes to health behaviours during the 12-week in-person program and beyond. Our PHAC-funded Hockey FIT® trial ran from 2018-2023 with close to 1,000 participants, 153 trained Hockey FIT coaches, and over 80 community partners (local hockey teams, YMCAs, and other fitness facilities) across 40 communities in Canada and in the United States.
Fans in Training for Newcomers (FIT) is an extension of our Hockey Fans in Training® program where we plan to build on our existing knowledge and strengths to engage newcomers to Canada. FIT for Newcomers is a community-partnered, healthy lifestyle program designed to engage, retain, and improve the health of hard-to-reach, at-risk populations using the powerful social connections of sport. By improving health literacy surrounding T2D prevention and promoting trusted sources of information, we plan to empower newcomers to take control of their health and share this with their community in a fun, recognizable environment.
HealtheSteps
HealtheSteps® is a free, virtual, six-month healthy lifestyle program for individuals looking to build healthy habits. Based on over 10 years of empirical testing, the program is designed to provide participants with a specific plan of action to increase physical activity and exercise levels, reduce sedentary time, improve eating habits, spend more time in nature, and improve mental wellbeing. Participants are matched with a coach who works with them in a 1-on-1 capacity to develop personalized goals and plans to implement small, sustainable changes in their daily lives. Coaches are usually medical or allied health students who engage in HealtheSteps® as a form of hands-on training, and build skills in lifestyle counselling they can take into their future practice. With over 900 participants and 200 coaches to date, we are learning more about the role lifestyle prescriptions can play in building healthy habits.
To sign up as a HealtheSteps® participant or coach, please visit the website here: https://healthesteps.ca/.