Social Influences on Exercise
Amber Riggin
NIFS Intern
Have you ever started an exercise program with the best of intentions, only to fall back because you didn’t feel like you had enough support from those around you? I have often found myself in the position of rationalizing my decision to exercise regularly to friends and family who may not have placed such a high priority on being active. Sometimes it seems like no matter how well we set ourselves up for maintaining a fitness program, exercise can quickly get pushed to the side if our efforts aren’t supported.
The people we surround ourselves with have tremendous influence, positive or negative, over our exercise behaviors. From my experience, there are several clues that show your friends and family may be hurting your exercise program. Do your friends and family dread any and all exercise? Do you feel guilty scheduling workouts when you have a heavy workload, because of what your boss or co-workers will think? Do you find yourself having to explain why you want to exercise instead of watching television, sleeping in, etc.? If any of these apply, you may be experiencing the negative effects of social influence. But all is not lost! There are some ways you can work to improve your social environment without quitting your job or fleeing your home in search of a new family.
The best thing you can do with your family and friends is to get them involved! Although I don’t have children, my boyfriend complains much less about all the time I spend exercising when he is also exercising regularly
. It can be so easy to pick relaxing on the couch over taking a run when he is sitting there snuggled under a warm blanket and watching television. When we exercise together, we not only have the benefit of accountability to each other, but we are able to spend quality time together. Studies suggest that exercise dropout rates of married couples that exercise together are much lower than those of individuals who are married but one spouse does not actively exercise.
And don’t limit yourself to organized fitness activities, such as going to the gym. We enjoy swimming, biking, ice-skating, or any “play” activities that don’t involve sitting. These still count toward physical activity goals, and are especially useful for those with children. In the workplace, you can look into joining a group of coworkers for a lunchtime walk or going to a sports club after work. If there is currently are no fitness clubs at work, then start one!
Don’t forget that it is never too late to surround yourself with friends who share similar fitness goals. I’m not saying you have to drop all your old friends and find a new social circle, but it is very motivating to spend time with people who share your love of fitness. Improving your social fitness environment takes only a little effort, but it could dramatically improve your chances of sticking with your exercise program, give your family fun new ways to spend time together and possibly even make a few new friends along the way.
Amber Riggin
NIFS Intern
Have you ever started an exercise program with the best of intentions, only to fall back because you didn’t feel like you had enough support from those around you? I have often found myself in the position of rationalizing my decision to exercise regularly to friends and family who may not have placed such a high priority on being active. Sometimes it seems like no matter how well we set ourselves up for maintaining a fitness program, exercise can quickly get pushed to the side if our efforts aren’t supported.The people we surround ourselves with have tremendous influence, positive or negative, over our exercise behaviors. From my experience, there are several clues that show your friends and family may be hurting your exercise program. Do your friends and family dread any and all exercise? Do you feel guilty scheduling workouts when you have a heavy workload, because of what your boss or co-workers will think? Do you find yourself having to explain why you want to exercise instead of watching television, sleeping in, etc.? If any of these apply, you may be experiencing the negative effects of social influence. But all is not lost! There are some ways you can work to improve your social environment without quitting your job or fleeing your home in search of a new family.
The best thing you can do with your family and friends is to get them involved! Although I don’t have children, my boyfriend complains much less about all the time I spend exercising when he is also exercising regularly
. It can be so easy to pick relaxing on the couch over taking a run when he is sitting there snuggled under a warm blanket and watching television. When we exercise together, we not only have the benefit of accountability to each other, but we are able to spend quality time together. Studies suggest that exercise dropout rates of married couples that exercise together are much lower than those of individuals who are married but one spouse does not actively exercise.And don’t limit yourself to organized fitness activities, such as going to the gym. We enjoy swimming, biking, ice-skating, or any “play” activities that don’t involve sitting. These still count toward physical activity goals, and are especially useful for those with children. In the workplace, you can look into joining a group of coworkers for a lunchtime walk or going to a sports club after work. If there is currently are no fitness clubs at work, then start one!
Don’t forget that it is never too late to surround yourself with friends who share similar fitness goals. I’m not saying you have to drop all your old friends and find a new social circle, but it is very motivating to spend time with people who share your love of fitness. Improving your social fitness environment takes only a little effort, but it could dramatically improve your chances of sticking with your exercise program, give your family fun new ways to spend time together and possibly even make a few new friends along the way.
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