From Home Goals to Foundation Fitness: How online Zoom workouts kickstarted a new fitness journey
23 July 2021“When the country went into lockdown it was very bad timing for me in terms of fitness”, explained school finance manager Clare Atkin, who’d stopped exercising in the run up to the first lockdown last year.
“I was working from home, and it’s a lot easier to eat when you're at home, so I started to pile weight on.”
It was when a colleague recommended Clare to the Foundation’s Home Goals programme that she discovered our range of online resources, that included live and pre-recorded workouts, cooking classes and community challenges.
Home Goals was launched in April 2020 in partnership with Doncaster Council to help keep the Doncaster community moving throughout the pandemic, and has grown into an online community with almost 900 members.
Despite lockdown measures slowly easing, the group remains as active as ever with participants continuing to log their workouts - most recently with our bank holiday challenge, where 17 participants travelled a combined distance of 350km in just four days.
Clare got involved with the live Home Goals Zoom workouts, which had as many as 109 people attending any one session. It was her first experience using one of the Foundation’s programmes.
“I found them brilliant, you can go at your own pace, they were motivating and adaptable to your ability.
“You felt like you were engaging on a one-to-one level even though there were other people on the call, it seemed really personal and I liked that.”
12 months after the launch of Home Goals, Club Doncaster Foundation opened the doors of Foundation Fitness, a brand-new community gym that would invest all profits back into the Doncaster community.
“I was very pleased to learn that you were launching Foundation Fitness at the Keepmoat Stadium.
“I like the staff, I like the atmosphere, it’s an ideal size. It doesn't feel impersonal and people talk to you which is nice.
“There’s also a good mix of age groups which I think is brilliant, and people of all abilities.
“I’ve never felt conscious about asking anyone if I need some help with anything which is a big thing for me. It’s good for my mental health getting out and about, and interacting with other people.
“I’m really enjoying it."
