“With A Little Help From My Friends”

“I get by with a little help from my friends.”

That’s what a member at our gym told me recently.

To give you a little context, we were having an early-morning conversation after a workout. The sun was coming up outside the gym windows, the workout was done, and there was already that nice feeling of having accomplished something before much of the day had even started.

They were telling me how they had never really been able to stick with a fitness routine before.

Yet here they were, a year and a half into consistently working out each week.

“Honestly,” I told them, “A lot of it is just finding something that works for you, and that you can actually stick with.”

And that’s something a lot of people struggle to find.

Recent data from the Health & Fitness Association shows that about 25% of Americans belong to a gym, studio or other fitness facility. In other words, roughly three out of four people don’t.

The encouraging part is that this percentage has been growing. More people are finding ways to make fitness a regular part of their lives. But getting started and sticking with it are two very different things.

Every new program, workout or gym can feel motivating in the beginning. It’s new. You’re excited. You have a goal. But eventually, that initial excitement starts to fade. And when it does, the question becomes: What’s going to help you keep showing up when you don’t feel particularly motivated?

For many people, one answer may be surprisingly simple: working out in groups and enjoying the support that comes with it. It can be quite powerful being part of something bigger than yourself. A support system, a group and a sense of community can change the entire experience of exercise.

And there’s actually good research behind this. Studies looking at group exercise have found that the social connections people develop within their group can play a meaningful role in whether they continue participating. Research involving older adults has also found that greater group cohesion can improve people’s likelihood of returning to an exercise program.

More recent research has added an interesting distinction: Simply exercising in a room full of people may not be enough. What seems to matter is actually feeling connected to those people and feeling like you’re part of the group.

In other words, the people you work out with may be part of what keeps you working out. Several things can help people start and maintain a fitness routine, but one of the most impactful may simply be working out with others.

They make friends. They feed off one another’s energy. They laugh. They encourage each other. And perhaps most importantly, they realize they’re not doing this alone.

There’s accountability built into that, too. It’s a lot easier to bail on a workout when no one is expecting you. It’s a little harder when you know someone is going to notice that you’re not there.

Research supports this idea as well. Studies examining social support and exercise participation have found that social support and group cohesion can help distinguish people who attend more consistently from those who attend less or eventually drop out.

But accountability doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s someone asking where you were Tuesday. It’s knowing your usual workout crew will be there. It’s the person next to you encouraging you through the last few reps. Or it’s simply knowing someone is expecting to see you. Over time, those little things can create momentum.

It’s a bit like swimming with the current instead of against it. When you’re trying to do everything on your own, motivating yourself, getting through your workouts, pushing yourself and holding yourself accountable, it can sometimes feel like you’re constantly swimming upstream. The right environment can turn that around.

That’s why it’s important to “just get in the door.” That doesn’t mean the workout itself doesn’t require effort. It does. It means that sometimes the hardest part is simply getting yourself there.

Once you’re through the door, you’re surrounded by people doing the same thing you are. The workout is ready. People know your name. Someone is happy to see you.

And instead of having to manufacture all that motivation yourself, you can borrow a little energy from the people around you. The current starts carrying you.

And maybe that’s an important lesson for anyone who has struggled to make exercise stick. If you’ve tried gyms before and they haven’t worked, maybe you haven’t found the right environment yet.

Some people thrive working out alone. Others need a class, a coach, a training partner or a group of familiar faces. The important thing is figuring out what helps you keep showing up.

Because the best fitness program isn’t simply the one that looks best on paper. It’s the one you can make part of your life.

As many people have discovered, finding the right current can make all the difference.

Sometimes, we really do get by with a little help from our friends.

Park Fitness offers group personal training, accountability and tracking, practical nutrition strategy and more. Learn more by calling 410-432-2113 or by visiting www.parkfitsp.com.