Fit Farmers programme gaining ground in Leitrim as demand grows

The Fit Farmers programme is continuing to gain traction in Leitrim, with more than 50 farmers already completing the initiative and demand growing for its expansion across the county.

Led by nurse and founder Laura Tully, the community-based programme has recently been delivered in Mohill and Cloone, targeting farmers in the south and south-east of the county.

“We did a programme in Mohill just before Christmas and another in Cloone, so there’s been two programmes in Leitrim now, with over 50 farmers graduating,” Ms Tully said. “Based on the success in that area, we’re hoping to expand it to other parts of Leitrim later in the year.”

The programme is specifically designed to suit the unique demands of farming life, encouraging participants to prioritise their own health and wellbeing.

“It’s a lifestyle programme, designed around farmers and their schedule,” Ms Tully explained. “They’re not typically very good at looking after themselves — they’re too busy looking after everyone else, their farm, their animals and their machinery.”

Delivered over six weeks, the programme includes weekly two-hour sessions combining health education workshops with physical activity.

Participants also receive individual health assessments, including checks on blood pressure and overall fitness.

“We do baseline testing at the start and again at week six to see what improvements have been made,” she said.

“A lot of farmers have had unknown blood pressure picked up through the programme. It’s generally invisible without symptoms, so early detection can make a huge difference.”

The initiative focuses on improving key aspects of health including heart health, nutrition, sleep, stress and physical fitness.

“We call it ‘age-proofing’ exercise,” Ms Tully added. “We work on fitness, strength and balance so farmers are in better shape for the busy periods and can hopefully stay farming longer.”

Fit Farmers is a community-based lifestyle programme for farmers that combines in-person health education and physical activity sessions with app-based support. It focuses on key pillars including movement, strength, nutrition, sleep, stress and social connection, aiming to improve wellbeing, safety and resilience across farming communities.

A key element of the programme’s success has been its strong community focus.

“They like that it’s local and that they don’t have to travel far. It’s fully funded, so it doesn’t cost them anything, and they’re doing it with their peers,” Ms Tully said.

“There’s great teamwork, banter and camaraderie. They’re meeting lads they mightn’t have seen since school — there’s a bit of crack in it as well.”

The programme is open to farmers, farm families and agri-workers of all ages, with participants in Leitrim ranging from 31 to their 90s.

“It’s very inclusive. We’ve had fathers and sons, couples, uncles and nephews taking part,” she said.

However, places are limited due to the personalised nature of the programme.

“The programme was funded for 25 participants, but I took 27 because the interest was so high — and we still had a waiting list,” she said.

Ms Tully said the idea for Fit Farmers came from her experience working as a community nurse.

“I was often meeting farmers when it was too late — when illness could have been prevented,” she explained.

“I wanted to bring something into the community that would take away the stigma and fear around asking for help or going to a doctor.”

Since its launch in 2019, almost 700 farmers have completed the programme nationwide.

“It’s really life-changing and even life-saving,” she said. “For a relatively small amount of public funding, it’s having a huge preventative impact.”

Looking ahead, further expansion in Leitrim is planned, with funding secured for another programme in 2026 and the development of a Fit Farmers app tailored to the county.

“We’ve made small steps but big progress in a short time in Leitrim,” Ms Tully added. “It’s had a really warm welcome, and we’re looking forward to working with more farmers in the future.”