Who wants to go to a party alone? Well, unless you are VERY confident and adventurous, not many people. Human beings tend to be very social creatures. Most of us like our groups. We are kind of like pack animals, especially if you are a group of women going to the restroom.
Why is that? I think it's that sense of belonging. We like to know we fit in somewhere. There's a sense of safeness in a group. You have support and friendship and connection with others.
This subject was brought up on the drive back from Key West the other day. We got into a conversation about leading a healthy lifestyle and how difficult it can be for some people to maintain. It was stated in the conversation that it seems as though unhealthy people tend to congregate and healthy people tend to congregate.
It is my belief that you become influenced by the group of people you hang out with most. Peer pressure is a very powerful motivator of good things and bad. People will tend to do what the group does. If the group goes out and parties, drinks, and eats bad food, the individuals will follow. If the group prefers to get together for a run on Saturday morning, go out for a healthy breakfast afterwards and make goals for upcoming races, the individuals will follow.
So, when an individual decides he/she is ready to become healthier, fitter and more active, he/she really should look at the social group he/she associates with most. Forming new and healthier habits can be extremely difficult. It is a lifestyle change and many people need outside support to help facilitate these changes. External encouragement is a very, very powerful motivator, at least until your intrinsic motivation takes over.
Now, I'm not saying you completely give up all of your friends so you can go to bed early on a Friday night and get up at 4am to run on Saturday morning or forego happy hour downtown to take a yoga class in the evening instead. At least, you don't have to do that all of the time. You will have to give some of that up if you are serious about making the changes necessary, but you don't have to go cold turkey.
Realize that it is always easier to take on a new exercise program or healthier eating styles when the whole family is on board or when you take on these challenges with a friend or group of friends. If you are ready to start a new exercise program, get your friends and family on board. Challenge one another to take that journey together.
If that doesn't work, look for fitness groups to join. Join a running club or training program, take yoga classes, go to group fitness classes at the gym. Start building a support system for your healthier lifestyle and ignore anyone who tries to diminish your goals or accomplishments. Anyone who projects negativity towards your new and healthier goals is not someone who will make your job any easier. Ignore them. Walk away and go hang out with people who will support your goals.
I am a very self-motivated person, but I know I would not be where I am now without my group of friends. Yes, the more active I became the more my circle of friends changed. That's not a bad thing, though. I have met some truly amazing people on my journey and without their encouragement and support, I certainly would not be as active as I am now. I wouldn't have so many races to do. I would probably skip at least a few workouts at the gym. My running and gym time tend to be my social hours now.
I am more active than I've ever been in my life. I am the fittest I've ever been and I feel the best I've ever felt. I can certainly attribute a lot of that to the peer pressure I get from my group of friends. We challenge each other in our workouts. We talk each other into doing races or trying out new outdoor activities. We have SO much fun on our race weekends away. We have fun going to races nearby. We just have fun!
Yes, what we do is physically challenging, but it is SO much more than just that. We support each other's healthy lifestyle. We confide in one another and provide personal support. We pick each other up when we struggle physically, mentally and emotionally. We talk sense into one another. We convince each other to do challenging events we wouldn't otherwise have attempted. We help each other push our limits.
That is why having a group support you in a healthy, fit lifestyle is important. Surround yourself with people who lead a lifestyle you would like. It's contagious.
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