The Power of a Community

The Power of Community in Your Health and Fitness Journey

If you’ve ever tried to go at it alone in your health and fitness journey, you know how tough it can be. Motivation fades, life gets in the way, and suddenly that solo mission to become your best self feels isolating. I’ve been there. I’ve been on a life long fitness journey (well, at least since I was 16) and it took me ~30 years to figure out how much having a community as part of your fitness journey changes the game.

In 2019, I decided to join a HIIT class at a local gym with my wife. The class was named “Team Training” and it was basically a group fitness class with an Orange Theory feel. Treadmills, rowers, strength equipment, heart rate monitors, and a coach. A really good coach. When you see the same people every day you start to develop a bond (especially at 5am). This was the start of the community I never knew I needed.

Why Community Matters

Health and fitness aren’t just about lifting weights, counting calories, or running miles. It’s about consistency, encouragement, and shared experiences - not just fitness experiences but life experiences. When you’re part of a community, you don’t just rely on your own willpower, you tap into a network of people who can inspire, challenge, and support you.

James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, talks about how identity is shaped by the people around us. If you want to become healthier and stronger, surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals makes the process easier. We tend to adopt the habits of the groups we associate with. So if you’re trying to improve your nutrition, exercise regularly, or develop a better mindset, being in a community that prioritizes these things is a huge advantage.

The Benefits of a Supportive Fitness Community

1. Accountability That Keeps You Moving

We all have those days when we’d rather stay in bed than hit the gym, especially at 4am in the cold Colorado winter. But when you have people checking in on you, you’re way more likely to show up.

On my own, it was easy to hit snooze, but knowing others were counting on me made me lace up my shoes and show up, even on days I didn’t feel like it. And guess what? I never regretted a single workout. For our team, we have a WhatsApp group that we text around seeing who’s going in the morning. When you don’t show up after you said you would you know you’re going to get a friendly jab.

2. Encouragement When You Hit Roadblocks

Let’s be real… setbacks happen. You get injured, you have a crazy work week, kids ruin your sleep, progress stalls, or motivation wanes. That’s when having a community matters most. Instead of feeling like a failure, you have people to remind you that setbacks are just part of the process. They help you pivot, stay positive, and keep going.

3. A Source of Knowledge and Inspiration

I’ve learned some of my best fitness tips from others… How to refine my squat form, new (health based) Instagram influencers to follow, or the best meal-prep options that made a difference in my results. A strong fitness community is full of people with different experiences and insights, and tapping into that knowledge accelerates your growth. In addition, you get to be one of the people that share your own knowledge with others.

4. Making Fitness More Fun

When fitness feels like a chore, it’s easy to burn out. This is usually what happens with the new year, new me folks. When you’re surrounded by people who make workouts enjoyable, whether through friendly competition, shared struggles, or even post-workout stretching, it transforms the process from something you have to do into something you want to do. Do not under estimate this!

Finding Your Fitness Community

If you don’t already have a supportive fitness community, don’t worry you can start building one today. Here are a few ideas:

• Join a local gym class or running group – These are built-in support systems with like-minded people.
• Find an online fitness group – Whether it’s a Facebook group, a Reddit community, or a fitness app, there are tons of places to connect virtually.
• Partner with a friend – Accountability doubles when you have someone to share the journey with.
• Engage in challenges – Many fitness programs offer group challenges that keep people motivated together.

My honest feedback here is don’t expect your community to form overnight. For me, it took about a year of seeing the same people every day before the deeper relationships formed. However, it only took a few weeks of seeing those same people everyday that gave me the motivation to be in class and make sure I wasn’t the one missing class. I wanted to be in class.

Final Thoughts

Your fitness journey doesn’t have to be a solo mission. Surround yourself with people who uplift, challenge, and inspire you, and you’ll find the process not only easier but way more enjoyable. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

So, who’s in your fitness community? If you haven’t found one yet, now’s the time to start building it!