4 Ingredients of a Flourishing Fitness Tribe

by MyFitnessPal
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4 Ingredients of a Flourishing Fitness Tribe

Fitness tribes come in many shapes and sizes. Yours can be two people or 200,000, it can be just you and your family (Grandma, too!), or it could be you in Chicago and your BFFs from college in Miami. It’s not the number in your tribe that leads to more success; it’s the power of the support you get from them that counts.

A fitness tribe is what you make of it. It can be infinitely flexible or it can be a bit more formal, with scheduled workouts, eating plans, and a name (let’s go, Cardio Queens!). Still, the most successful fitness tribes have four key ingredients.

1.  Shared goals You can find or form a fitness tribe around taking 50,000 steps a week, running five miles a week, eating five vegetables a week, prepping five meals, or losing five pounds. Some people belong to multiple Fitness Tribes to cover several different health goals, while others focus on one goal and one tribe at a time. Big or small, having a common goal is a success factor. Take Oklahoma City, for example. The whole town rallied around a single goal to lose one million pounds—and they nailed it!

2.  Shared values and tactics It’s human nature to bond with people who have similar priorities and beliefs about how this health thing should happen as you do. It’s especially true when it comes to food philosophies. Vegetarians and Paleo eaters might get along just fine in the gym, but the dining table could be another story. If you are just starting to make healthier food choices, finding another beginner who will share your experience is a great idea—you’ll be able to help each other get past that first pizza sighting without succumbing to a slice.

3.  Shared behavior Maybe everyone in your tribe is tracking their food, their exercise, or their weight. Or maybe you’re all biking every Saturday, attending that awesome Thursday night Zumba class, or training for a half marathon. Or perhaps you’re all taking the stairs, cooking more of your meals at home, or getting more sleep. Whatever the habit is, consistent, common behaviors are a big part of what makes a fitness tribe a Fitness Tribe.

4.  Shared support Members of well-oiled fitness tribes give each other kudos when they’re on a roll—and they pick each other up when things get rough. Bonding over the wins and occasional woes will make your tribe stronger, and make attaining the ultimate goal more likely for everyone in the group.

For more cool stats, fitness tribe building tools, and helpful tips, download the free eBook, The Rise of the Fitness Tribe from MyFitnessPal today.

How does your fitness tribe support your healthy goals? Share in the comments below, and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with #myfitnesstribe.

About the Author

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal provides powerful tools that make it easier for anyone to live a healthier life by tracking their meals and physical activity. Make healthy choices and visit the MyFitnessPal blog and download MyFitnessPal (if you haven’t already).

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