Tag: friends

Fitness, My Story

My Story: Benefits of Working Out With Friends

Posted on by mghdiabeteseducation

By Jahnelle Bray
Population Health Coordinator

One of my old coworkers made a commitment to get up early every morning to go spinning. She always had so much energy during her day I thought I’ve got to try this! When a spinning studio opened across the street, I got a group of friends together and that’s what we did. That first class was tough and I had really mixed emotions when it was over. I was sweaty and sore, but also really energized. A little while later I introduced another friend to spinning and she LOVED it. She also suggested we go to a class every week. This was great for me because it has helped me build consistency with my workouts.

If you struggle with staying in shape or sticking with exercise, finding an exercise buddy is really helpful. When you’re by yourself, it’s easy to talk yourself out of exercising or just do the bare minimum. When you make plans with someone else, you’ve made a commitment to be there and do your best. You don’t want to feel like you’re letting them down.

Your exercise buddy can push you to keep going when your muscles start to hurt. If I start to feel like I’m ready to give up, I’ll look over and see how my friends are doing. Seeing them going for it when I’m flagging really motivates me to stick with it. Thinking about the class as a group effort also helps. Everyone is there for the same reason and we’re all going to get through this together. I don’t want to be the only person not doing anything, so I tell myself if they can do it, so can I!

It was great finding someone who loved spinning as much as I do and wanted to go regularly. We have a routine now where we text each other every week to decide what day we’ll go. It’s been about a month since we started doing this, and I’m much less sore than I was after that first time! I look forward to class. It’s a chance for me to disconnect and recharge my body and mind. If I miss a week, I don’t feel my best. Working out is a great accomplishment. If you don’t finish anything else in your day, at least you’ve done that.

0
Fitness, Guest Post

Changing Seasons, Changing Habits

Posted on by mghdiabeteseducation

By Monica

Changing the way we do things, especially if it’s something we’ve done for a long time, is the hardest task anyone can ask.  We create a comfort zone of tranquility, serenity and calmness that our mind comes to prefer.  But it is not always the best.

As we get older, our appetite changes.  Our metabolism is different too, and we burn fewer calories.  We need to change the way we eat and learn to substitute in healthier foods.  And in order to continue to maintain a good healthy lifestyle, our daily routine needs to shift in a more active and productive way.  It’s not always easy, but it can be done with support from friends and family.

Regular activity is not just for little kids or young people – we all need to be active, and it’s never too late to start.  We had such a long winter; now that spring is finally here we have a chance to go outside and enjoy the warmer weather.  It’s also a perfect opportunity to change some of your habits.  Rather than just sitting in the sun, go for a little walk.  If you can, bring along a friend or co-worker.  You’ll be doing something good for yourself and getting a chance to be social at the same time.

Is there an activity you’ve always wanted to try?  Go for it!  Just about everyone has something they’ve said they’d like to try “someday.”  Well, why not now?  If you go to a gym, ask if they will let you try out a class to see if you like it.  There are also some programs in Boston that plan community fitness events or offer free classes like yoga and Zumba in spring and summer.  The Boston Natural Areas Network is another great group that organizes community activities like bike rides, canoeing and gardening – great opportunities for families to do something healthy and active together.

Let the change in seasons inspire you to get out there and get moving.

0