We Are Social Beings

Finding the motivation to exercise can be tough, and making lasting changes to your health even tougher still.  Many people wait until a health crisis occurs before taking active steps towards establishing healthy lifestyle habits, but preventing illness and injury is always best.  While it may sometimes feel as if you are all alone in your quest to exercise more, clean up your diet, get adequate sleep, and respond better to stress, know that there are people just like you who struggle and worry that success may never come, and there are ways to tap into the social energy that comes from talking with like-minded people.  Finding a group, organization, community, or individual who shares your interest in fitness and health may just provide the incentive you need to gain control of your worries and start making things happen for yourself.

• Enlist a family member or close friend to share your journey.  The people closest to you are the ones who will be most affected by changes to your health, either positive  or negative, so make sure these people are aware of your intentions.  Many a couple has been sabotaged by one spouse’s ability to achieve a health goal, and friendships may not last if one friend makes a decision to lose weight while the other gets left behind.   Be good to those you love by informing them of your health and fitness goals and inviting them to join you to make good health a lasting habit.

• Seek out social support at your local community center.  Community centers bring together neighbors, friends, and families  to participate in recreational activities that support good health.  The City of Portland offers a network of community centers where you may find group exercise classes, work out facilities, indoor and outdoor pools, and other sporting opportunities and classes.  You are bound to see someone you know at your local community center, and good conversation is a known stress reliever.

• Who says you have to leave your house for social support?  Online health and fitness communities are in abundance and allow you to connect with health-enthusiasts from all around the world.  If you are looking for information, accountability, motivation, and encouragement, explore the BodyProud, SparkPeople, and Livestrong communities, or type ‘meetup Portland fitness’ in your web browser to find local connections to activities in and around the Portland area.

• Walking and running groups meet regularly to take the guesswork out of when and where to exercise.  Since walking and running are often required for activities of every day life, you’ll find participants of all levels and abilities, and plenty of options when it comes to location and timing.  Running and walking groups in the Portland area include Get Fit Live Fit, Team Red Lizard, the Oregon Road Runner’s Club, and the Wonders of Walking Club, based out of REI Portland.

• Working out with a personal trainer puts you in good position to gain valuable information, encouragement, and moral support, but the cost of one-on-one, undivided attention may be beyond your budget.  Many gyms offer semi-private and group training services to appeal to members and clients who value the information and guidance of a trainer, but are willing to share a trainer’s time and attention with a friend, partner, or acquaintance to bring costs down. Working out with others under the guidance of a fitness expert also provides the benefit of social interaction and accountability found in group settings.

It is important to be able to rely on your own ability to address your individual health and fitness needs, but when you find the task of maintaining a healthy lifestyle bordering on tedium, give yourself a break by allowing others to help you.  Social interaction reduces stress, increases levels of ‘good feeling’ hormones serotonin and dopamine, and helps you to overcome feelings of isolation and depression.  If you are in doubt about your ability to reach out to others support, remember that every good intention starts with a heartfelt desire, and from this desire grows the warmth of the shared human spirit.