SFH #185: Who's coming with me?

Social exercise benefits 🔥

After a nice sweaty and satisfying run around the track on Wednesday night at Duniway (in Portland) or Washington HS (in DC), there was nothing better than reflecting and connecting over some food and maybe an adult beverage. I took a trip down memory lane today after being taught the structure for experiential learning. Little did I know how powerful those post-workout meetups actually were for our training. 💪

The most significant benefit to my coaching and participation as an athlete on triathlon teams was the link between social interaction and health gains. The need for connection is becoming even more apparent during the pandemic across the board. Everything closed down and forced people to explore virtual activities for healthy possibilities, while a social connection was inhibited or completely missing. Studies have pointed out how isolation during COVID degraded overall physical activity and mental health.¹

We know that it benefits us to be social and active, but how exactly?

1. Connection (social bonding) improves underlying health through motivation, accountability, and community.²

2. Synchronization of movement in groups increases performance.³

3. Feedback and interaction within a workout present mental and physical gains in the short and long term.⁴

Are you ready to get your group workout on? (Had to👇)

1. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jpah/17/12/article-p1275.xml

2. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017w/10/171030092917.htm

3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1612197X.2013.750139

4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228622237_Group_versus_Individual_Approach_A_Meta-Analysis_of_the_Effectiveness_of_Interventions_to_promote_physical_activity