HEALTH, fitness and well-being were at the top of the agenda at HM Naval Base Clyde as is hosted its second NAVYFit Festival.

Hunderds of military and civilian workers visited the sportsdrome throughout the day to learn more about how they could live a healthy and active lifestyle and some even got stuck in with the activities.

Two gym owners Dave Morre, of Dominus Strength and Conditioning in York and Chris Guyll, from BigKat Fitness and Martial Arts Centre in Harrowgate, attended to demonstrate the benefits of using kettlebells.

“The kettlebells are a great endurance and fitness tool and are a lot more versatile than dumbells,” explained Dave. “We are both founding members of the Grassroots Kettlebell League and have come to challenge people to give them a try.”

“We’ve been asking people to do as many jerks as they can within five minutes,” continued Chris. “It’s a fantastic total body workout. It can be quite difficult at first, but it doesn’t take long before you experience the results and gain strength and fitness.”

Also at the Festival was Paul Winton, Royal Navy Indoor Rowing’s manager who challenged Base personnel to cover a much distance as they could in 60 seconds on the rowing machine.

“Indoor rowing is a growing sport,” said Paul. “It’s non-impact and non-weight bearing so it’s an ideal way to get and stay fit."

There were a few new activities for people to try at the event including pilates and yoga. Local instructors from Helensburgh and Dumbarton were on hand to teach people the basics.

Another first was the Crossfit stand, with Karen Gallagher delivering lessons on Olympic lifting.

There were also a variety of stalls including HM Naval Base Clyde’s Chaplaincy, Department of Community Mental Health, the Base’s Dental Department, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), Crossfit, Kayaking, Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, Surfing, Stand-up Paddleboarding, as well as the indoor climbing wall.

The Naval Base’s Campbell Robinson and Fiona MacLeod were also at the event, representing the Clyde Carer’s Forum and explaining that the forum can offer useful information on the help available.

Organisers were delighted to see everything come together as preparation for the event only started in March this year.

Organiser, Leading Physical Trainer (LPT) Carl Stubbs, said: "We contacted all the Royal Navy sports associations and most of them are represented here at the event. The healthy cooking demonstrations using Quorn and the physiotherapists from Lomond Clinic have been particularly popular, along with the Crossfit stand, downhill mountain biking and climbing wall.

“I would like to thank everyone who attended, both those who are here to provide health and fitness advice, and those who have come along to learn more. Hopefully they will leave with some knowledge, or a new pastime, which will help improve their lives.”