FARMERS across SA are being encouraged to embrace fitness and train for the City to Bay fun run in Adelaide in September.
Three farmers on Yorke Peninsula shared the idea of taking part in the event when health became their priority five years ago, which took shape as Fat Farmers, a group placing emphasis on health and fitness.
Group coordinator Ben Wundersitz, Maitland, said a growing number of farmers were taking up the challenge.
"Initially it really was that we were in our 40s, a bit overweight and a couple had cholesterol problems," he said.
The farmers made time to get to the gym and focus on a healthy lifestyle.
"Where we saw the gap was if you are finished playing footy or hockey and didn't take up golf, you really didn't do anything," Ben said.
"In our industry everything is a lot more mechanised so we're probably not doing a lot of physical activity."
He said the shift in focus had enormous benefits for his area.
"We're fitter and you feel so much better and it just does your mental health so much good," he said.
"I see it's made such a difference in our town."
He said the group socialised more in the gym instead of the pub.
This is the fourth year the group has made the trip to Adelaide to take part in the fun run, and this time they expect numbers to be 35 to 40, including families.
The YP Fat Farmers have challenged other farming groups in SA to start training and join them at the September 20 event.
Primary Producers SA's Healthy Farmer Adviser Sally Fisher is working with them to find more teams. She said the event was a great way to kick off a focus on health.
"Working towards the City to Bay is a good starter," she said.
"The timing is also great to look at getting fitter before harvest."
Sally said farmer health was something often neglected but was an important part of running a business.
"It's integral that people are looking after themselves as well as machinery," she said.
She said health statistics for rural people, particularly rural men, indicated that all was not well.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show people who live outside a 'major city' have a life expectancy up to four years lower than their metropolitan counterparts.
They were 30 per cent more likely to have a long-term health condition while those aged more than 15 years were 13pc more likely to be overweight or obese.
The highest cause of death in adults outside major cities was heart disease while rates of hypertensive diseases, related to high blood pressure, were higher than in the metro population.
"We know a lot of people are dying from preventable diseases; heart disease, cancer and diabetes. These are all connected to lifestyle," Sally said.
She said there was no pressure on farmers to sign up to run the 12-kilometre race as they could walk the 3km or 6km leg.
"It's about finding a personal goal and working towards that," Sally said.
After the run, the farming groups will meet for a buffet lunch.
Those unable to make it to Adelaide can organise Fat Farmers teams in their own regions. The Port Neill run on Eyre Peninsula is on October 10 and the Mount Gambier Blue Lake run is on November 29. Organisers are urging farmers in other regions to get involved.