We have all heard about the power of community / there is strength in numbers / you need to find yourself a accountability partner/ etc… And although some might get bored by the trending phrases. One has to stop and ask – why are these topics trending? If it’s trending, then there obviously must be some sort of truth to it.
So, to set things straight from the start – we totally believe in the power of community! And here is why! Of course, countless people can confirm and share their stories of how communities assisted and improved their fitness journey. But why is that the case? The answer is actually pretty simple. We as human beings are emotionally wired. We thrive on connection with other people. Whether it’s simply being around other people, where it’s chatting to someone else one on one or even connecting with people on social media.
When you join a community, you immediately step into a larger audience. And with things like fitness communities – you are all obviously there for the same reason.
Regardless of your day job, your age or even your fitness journey goals – you get the feeling that there is someone else out there suffering and walking this journey with you. And we, once again, as the social creatures that we are – that makes us feel better, more excited and more motivated to continue with the journey.
Communities provides emotional support and access to resources – as the community will exchange information and skills they have obtained in their experience. And as a result, everyone can learn from one another. Community also adds to personal and, in some cases, professional development. The mere fact that you get to share your experiences with like minded people will already in added joy to your daily life. Being part of a community will also help you to grow and collaborate with others.
Say for instance, you are an accountant with your own accounting firm who loves fitness. So, now you end up in this fitness community. And you get to meet several new people along the line. And you might meet business owners who’s looking for someone to handle they bookkeeping, etc. If you haven’t been in the community – your paths would have never crossed.
A fitness community helps you to stay accountable and will thus help you to reach your goals. Research has shown that people are less likely to bail on workouts and similar events, when they form part of a community or have an accountability partner.
Basically, being part of a fitness community or having an accountability partner is like having a fitness journal! Only way better! A fitness journal is mostly used to track your journey, in order for you to make adjustments and improvements on your journey to ultimately ensure that you reach your fitness goals. And that’s exactly what an accountability partner and fitness community will do for you as well.
As mentioned above – having a accountability partner or forming part of a community – will help you to stay accountable with your journey. You will be more likely to plan and schedule your workouts in advance and stick to them. You will also stay in the loop about upcoming fitness and other related events – which might have passed you by if it wasn’t for the community.
Ultimately – results have repeatedly shown that you will be more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you surround yourself with people who are on the same journey as you are.
That doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to start doing group fitness classes or find someone to train with. Of course, there are many women out there who truly love to train on their own. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Community doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of training partners. It can be the friend who checks in with you on a weekly basis to see how your training has been going the last week. It can be as simple as following hashtags like #teamfitbest on Instagram and seeing how other people are making progress on their own journeys.
Its not about comparing your journey to someone else’s. It’s about experiencing the feeling of being connected. Having someone to connect to and speak to about your experiences. Learning from one another and improving your life in general.
That is one of the reasons why we love social media so much! You can sit any where in the entire world and be globally connected! Why don’t you give it a go?
Find a group of people that challenge and inspire you! Spend a lot of time with them & it will change your life! - Amy Poehler