Filled with stress, struggles and challenges, life can be difficult. But there are safeguards in place designed to lessen the burden.

An all-men's social club, F3 Lanco (Fitness, Faith, Fellowship) takes a proactive approach toward diffusing hardships and improving the quality of life. For the key to the club's success, one doesn't need to look much further than its name.

"Just in general, I think guys sometimes have a hard time making new connections," said Keith Martin, F3 Lanco's leader. "As we get older, some of those connections we had when we were younger fade away. Men do have a hard time finding the time to socialize. With F3, we can get after something and have that connection."

Already well established in the county, F3 Lanco has now found its way into Manheim Township.

F3 Lanco began meeting at Manheim Township's Overlook Park, 2040 Lititz Pike, Lancaster, at the end of April. The informal, 45-minute sessions, which are conducted at dawn every Monday, consist of structured workouts, support and friendship.

"Fitness is what brings everybody out," said Martin, a resident of Landisville. "We want to be fit, and sometimes in our busy lives, we put it on the back burner. We're looking for an opportunity to better ourselves. Friendship is the glue that develops the bonds. It's about being there for the other guys. A lot of our guys are dedicating themselves to their families, and this gives them an opportunity to network with other men. Some people hear the word 'faith,' and they think, 'Oh, it's a religious group.' But faith to us means just being part of something bigger than yourself."

While each meeting is a unique experience, there are certain commonalities. Every session is free, they're open to all men, they're always conducted outdoors, they're peer led and they always end in a circle-of-trust exercise. Men need not preregister for the meetings; they should simply show up.

"Something happened in my life, and I had some friends reach out to me," said Patrick Cloonan, a resident of Manheim Township who's helping coordinate F3 Lanco's local recruitment efforts. "They said, 'If you need anything, let us know.' They suggested an F3 meeting, and I didn't want to go. I didn't want to be there, but I was happy when I was. I always liked fitness, and that was the glue. I came to realize that it was the place for me. That's my story, but everybody's story is different."

An international organization of 4,543 regular workout groups in 370 regions of the world, F3 was introduced in Lancaster County by transplant Gary Fyke in October of 2017. Currently, about 200 local men meet for F3 workouts five times a week at Rapho Township Community Park, 960 Strickler Road, Mount Joy, and Mountville Park, 351 N. Lemon St., Mountville.

"Perspective and empathy are very important to me," said Martin. "Knowing that other people are going through similar things gives me a better vision of the world around me. These are guys who are looking to improve something in their lives. There's something missing. They're looking to improve themselves, and they come into the workouts with the idea of wanting to make others better. They have good hearts."

For additional information about F3 Lanco, go to http://www.f3lanco.com or email pcloonan@compcos.com.