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But what if you could use social media to help you get fit? What if there was a social fitness platform that helped you connect with others who wanted to get fit?
It is not uncommon for individuals to enlist the help of a personal trainer, fitness coach, running buddy, or workout friend to motivate them.
A study from the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication claims what many already knew that one's social networks could be a powerful motivational force when it comes to making life improvements.
It makes sense, therefore, that the same concept applies to one's social media networks with which a fitness seeker can harness the power of numerous motivational allies with a simple post.
You might be hesitant to share your fitness goals and results with others. Don't be. Finding an accountability partner and sharing your success with as many people as possible increases your chances for success.
A study from the Dominican University of California reports that 70% of goal-setting participants who reported their progress weekly to a friend achieved their goal. Social media takes the accountability partner concept to another level. Transparency via Facebook posts, Twitter updates, or Instagram photos motivates to stay on track. Posting your workouts and successes on a service primarily geared toward athletes on any part of the path to fitness improves the odds of success even more.
When using social media to help get fit, you need to be honest with what you share; that is, share the good with the bad. If you finish a tough workout, report it. If you skip a workout because you ate 6 donuts for breakfast, report it.
Because of the broad range of interests among the most popular social media platforms, you may want to find ways to narrow your social fitness to relevant platforms or groups.
Although there will be a few nay-sayers and a couple of jerks who ridicule your efforts, you'll discover that most of your "friends" and followers will act as friends and lend you support and encouragement. Some will even follow you in the quest for fitness.
Another option for finding accountability on social media is finding like-minded individuals who support each other. Facebook groups and specific social media applications geared toward fitness provide forums and data recording capabilities that help you record workouts, track important fitness statistics, get expert advice, and give and receive encouragement.
It's one thing to find like-minded individuals and join them, but those who actually participate in the communities they join find more success. A study from Northwestern University using data from CalorieKing.com's online weight-loss community reported that dieters who participated in the social media features of the community lost more weight than those who just used the weight loss tools.
Take the Jen Selter's Facebook group for those using her app or the famous Boady Coach, Joe Wick's page where he shares inspirational stories of his followers.
The study concludes that individuals don't necessarily need a lot of professional help with weight loss when they become socially connected with others with the same or similar goals.
Although taking your quest for fitness to social media will not guarantee success, it will make success more likely.
Photo Credit: Depositphotos
