Why You Need More Fitness Friends
By Genevieve Cunningham
Fitness is hard. It takes hard work, dedication, and self-discipline to keep your body in shape, and in a world of excess and convenience, this can be a serious challenge. Should you hit the gym or go out with friends for drinks after work? You know what you should do … but when all of your friends are doing something else, it can be hard to resist. If this sounds like you, you may be tempted to believe that you just need more self-control or an even stricter routine. But what if the real answer is … new friends! If you’re ready to get serious about your health and wellness, take a look at why you should add more fitness friends to your life today.
For Motivation
Finding motivation is hard. And it's even harder when you don't have any additional support. Making friends who are interested in health and fitness means having an extra dose of motivation. If you haven't met a big goal recently, look to your friends. Are they making gains? Are they reaching goals? Are they getting closer to their dream body? If so, let them motivate you to keep going. Let their accomplishments become yours, and allow the success of others to keep you moving forward.
For Accountability
It's best if you can hold yourself accountable, but using outside influences is beneficial, too. Health-focused friends can help you keep your eye on the prize. They might ask about your recent gym sessions, any big breakthroughs, or ask where you've been when you’ve skipped a day or two. And in return, you can do the same for them. Accountability is big, so having friends to help you is a huge advantage.
For a Lifestyle Change
The more you change your lifestyle, the more likely small changes are to stick. If you want to be fit, you need friends who ask you to visit the gym instead of go out for drinks. You need friends who want to spend that extra hour walking rather than eating. To really effectively change your health, you need to change your lifestyle, and good friends can make the transition easier.
You don’t have to ditch your old friends. You don’t have to dump everyone in your current group and replace them with a fitness fiend. But it can really be good for your health and long-term well-being to have a few like-minded individuals in your friend group. Make and keep a few fitness friends, and you may find that your health takes a turn for the better in no time at all.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Minnetonka, Minn.