ESSENTIAL ELEMENT: Community
Critical Concept: We are communal beings who thrive and prosper with social support
There are three critical steps to adopting exercise as a permanent fixture in the landscape of your life:
1. Deeply own the significant benefits of fitness to your overall health and life.
2. Equally understand the devastating consequences of not exercising.
3. Surround yourself with as many committed, motivating supporters as humanly possible.
Man has always hunted in a pack and gathered in a group. We love to be part of a greater whole on a quest for a mutual goal. A group of like-minded others successfully completing a task creates a “vicarious experience” that gives us confidence to embark on a new activity or break a four minute mile. The power of the group can pick you up and carry you along when motivation is low. And the influence that others exert on our experience can create extraordinary performance in the name of excitement, camaraderie, competition or good old pride.
A group can be as small as just you and someone else. The Buddy System is one of the most powerful Influence Strategies that you could possibly employ. Want to increase your compliance, frequency of workouts or bottom line results? Simply coerce a friend to join you.
A best practice is to get friends to join you on Bonfire. The only thing more gratifying than embarking on a personal journey back to optimal health is taking others with you. Share this link (Bonfire Health) with friends and tell them that if you’re going to get fit and live longer, you’d love to have them along for the ride with you.
No friends? No problem. Hire one. A personal trainer or coach is a great way to get the double whammy of Influence Strategies. A coach will give you clear standards, accountability, feedback and with any luck – encouragement.
A best practice is to follow the Bonfire Workout of the Day with friends. Organize groups at work, get your whole family moving, or organize a Bonfire Workout at a local beach or park. Find a qualified functional training facility such as CrossFit. The spirit and energy of these communities are exactly what is needed to get you to the gym, through a great workout, and back for more tomorrow.
Misery loves company – and apparently so does wellness. The easiest way to make fitness fun is to share it. Make new friends, build a social life around activity (not just food and drink) and create a community of healthy minded people (like you) who will support and promote the wellness lifestyle.
Show me who you’re spending your time with, and I’ll show you who you’re becoming.
Summary Checklist
- Add activity every day in every way
- Calculate Energy Balance
- Add Functional Training
- Use variety in your workouts
- Focus on the Intensity of your workouts
- Gradually progress to a higher intensity
- Adopt the Buddy System
