October is mental health awareness month so there is no better time to connect as a community to raise awareness and much needed funds for suicide prevention charity R U OK?
Every year around 65, 000 people in Australia attempt to take their own life. 75% are male and beyond the tragic loss of the individual, the impact of each suicide can affect up to 135 people including that persons family, friends, work colleagues and acquaintances according to Lifeline.
That means that there are at least 65, 000 reasons to lace up your shoes and participate in Anytime Fitness’s inaugural Tread As One event this October.
Taking place between 22-29 October 2022, the Tread As one challenge invites participants to fundraise by walking, running or even dancing on a treadmill to clock up as many km’s as possible. Registrations are open now at www.TreadAsOne.com.au and the goal is to raise over $300, 000 for R U OK?, a suicide prevention charity that starts life-changing conversations.
A local fitness community is a great place to boost feel-good endorphins through regular exercise, however it also strengthens a member’s sense of belonging, as research shows that people are at less risk of suicide when they connect with others. Whether it be with a personal trainer, a gym-buddy, or club manager; regular peer to peer engagement with fellow gym-goers allows members to chat about life’s ups and downs; making gyms a vital backbone for the mental health of a community.
Anytime Fitness has a network of 500 clubs Australia wide (and many more overseas) who champion inclusivity and community. They partner with a variety of incredible causes including R U OK?, WeFlex who connect people living with a disability with a suitable trainer and Proud2Play who assist the Anytime Fitness team in creating a roadmap to help their clubs connect with LGBTIQ+ people and groups, who incidentally are a community with higher suicide rates.
How to take part?
- Register or make a donation at www.treadasone.com.au
- Set yourself (or your team) a goal in kms, and commit to running, walking or even dancing those kms on a treadmill.
- Each challenge participant are asked to fundraise amongst their networks, in support of them hitting their running and walking goals.
- Some clubs will be hosting an activation on Saturday the 29th October, the final day of the Tread As One week, so keep an eye out for that and get involved!
- If you don’t have access to a treadmill at Anytime Fitness, or at home; you can complete the Tread As One challenge at the park, the beach, or by hitting the streets.