Being healthy sounds like a personal matter. Sure, you need your doctor for medical reasons, but beyond that you should be able to read the latest nutrition news and follow the latest exercise research to keep yourself healthy. So why are so many people "failing" at fitness? Of course, there are multiple reasons, but the one I am going to highlight today is the benefit of a group.
1. A group provides accountability!
We just finished our Healthy Habits Team Challenge. I offer around 4 challenges/year and each one is different so that clients can find out what kind of plan works best for them. But the Team challenge is my boot camp's favorite one. It isn't easy and has a lot of "rules" (7 servings of vegetables/day gets a lot of complaints đ). But the people compete in groups of 3 and they lose weight and increase their fitness levels because they don't want to let each other down.
They commit to meeting weekly to walk or run in addition to their workouts. It's not convenient, but the community aspect and the accountability is a true win. The 2 women in our winning group (pictured above) lost a total of 11 lbs in 4 weeks! Weight loss wasn't our primary goal, but it was a great benefit they received from their desire to work as a team to win the challenge.
2. A group reinforces belief!
Organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous know the power of groups. People look around and decide that if this meeting is working for these people, then it should be able to work for them also.
When people join our boot camp, they often look at all of the fit members and think there is no way they can do this. But when they hear about Jeri, who wasn't exercising before but has now lost 40 lbs, or Tracey, who started camp to get stronger at 60 and has now greatly improved her core, back, and overall muscle strength, they realize that the same could be true for them.
3. A group provides fun!
Let's face it, grinding out your exercises while watching a video is convenient, but not very fun. In a group, there are others to encourage you and jokingly complain with you. đ Every group has at least one comedian. They keep us from taking ourselves or our workouts too seriously, and help us to keep going in spite of our temporary discomfort.
Having someone cheer you on besides the coach keeps you looking forward to your workouts. A group always has a few self appointed cheerleaders. đ
You can succeed alone, but the research shows it is much more difficult. Nobody needs that. Join a group so you will be one of these smiling faces enjoying your community and your results! And if you're looking for a fitness group, I'd love for you to come check us out at Health and Soul Fitness!