Click on the image to watch the video feature of Matt Jarvis taking part in a Kickz session
Watch the video feature of Matt Jarvis taking part in a Kickz fitness session >
West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis helped to spread the message of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle at a recent West Ham United Community Sports Trust event.
The new No 7, who was signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer, visited the Trust's Beckton headquarters to spend an afternoon at the Kickz Football Fitness Circuit - an eight-week health and fitness programme aimed at helping young men to keep healthy.
The men's health scheme is a free programme for men aged 18-45 who are Newham residents and want to improve their health and fitness and is a joint-funded initiative with the Premier League and Hearty Lives Newham.
Tania McKay, of the Community Sports Trust, explains how the club’s name can attract people to the scheme who otherwise would not be interested. "It's using the West Ham branding to give them somewhere to start,” McKay said. "So it's just about getting older men as well as the younger ones involved in something rather than going to the gym or doing something which they think is boring."
Jarvis was delighted to take part and explained the need for professional footballers like himself to make sure his body remains in prime physical condition to those in attendance, especially if they are wingers.
"It’s about getting old and young men involved rather than doing something they think is boring"
Tania McKay
"You can play different positions if you’re not 100% fit, but unfortunately when it’s bursts of speed like mine you know I have to be quite fit,” he said, adding that he was impressed with what he saw at Beckton. "A lot of the activities they are doing are very similar if not the same to what we in the first team do, so they are definitely doing it right.
"It is great, the people who come down here are asked what sessions they would like to participate in, rather than going somewhere and not knowing what to do. It gives them a very good workout.”
"It is fantastic that the club is so active within the community and if we as players can do little things like coming down and showing our support it will provide a massive boost.
"What people are doing here is similar to what we do, so West Ham United are definitely doing a great job within the community."
McKay said Jarvis's visit had given the participants a lift.
"Matt joining in their training session will really motivate and inspire them to continue training with us and creates a great talking point with friends which will hopefully introduce new people to programmes,” she said.
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