There are times all of us feel unmotivated, whether it be exercising or eating right. We find ourselves relying on our friends for advice, entertainment, and everything in between. Why not rely on your friends for motivation and support for staying healthy?

The benefits and importance of exercising in groups have been researched and noted. Exercising in a group setting gives a unique, social experience that keeps it interesting while building friendships. Not only does it make it entertaining, it also provides a sense of accountability and structure.

Many celebrities have caught onto this idea and put it to good use. Actress Kristen Bell started a twitter campaign to encourage her followers to join she and her friends to exercise for 30 days in a row, 60 minutes a day. Twitter followers are encouraged to tweet while including the hash tag #30dayhomies to tell of their successes and motivation. People are more likely to keep going in their workout plans when they feel the camaraderie through the complaints and successes.

Photo Credit: US Weekly | Tommaso Boddi/WireImage.com; Peter Kramer/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank

Here are some useful ideas to help you and your friends get started in your work out plan:

1.  Find out if your local gym has classes that interest you. Group exercise encourages you to commit to a daily workout schedule. 
2.  Start a workout plan with your friends, much like Kristen Bell’s #30dayhomies and hold each other accountable.
3. Start off with fun classes with friends, such as Zumba and upbeat spin classes, to keep interest high while boosting morale.
4. Keep log journals with friends to track progress together.
5. If a support group for exercising with friends isn’t available, websites like michellelovitt.com, everydayhealth.com, and revolutionhealth.com, offer community boards and forums that allow users to post their ideas, troubles, and relate to one another.

 Zobha encourages you to take these ideas and realize the power of group exercise and support from friends through your journey to becoming a healthier you! Tell us what group exercises have you done or plan to join with friends?

This entry was posted on Friday, June 22nd, 2012 at 7:47 pm and is filed under Community, group exercise, Healthy Living, Inspiration, twitter, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.