Cody and I are working towards a few health and fitness goals right now, so I have been doing some research into how to stay motivated and be successful. Here is what I found:
Sharing your goals and your progress with others can make a huge difference in how successful you are along the way. Research proves it! According to a study published in Translational Behavioral Medicine, strong social circles can be very effective in helping individuals succeed with their health and fitness goals.
When dieters participating in a weight loss study shared their plans and progress with others on social media, they lost more weight than those who kept their goals to themselves.
So why does this work and how can we implement this concept to be more successful with our health and fitness goals?
Sharing Your Goals…Creates Accountability Telling your family and friends about your goals, creates the opportunity for someone to ask you about your progress down the road. And knowing someone might be checking in can help you stay on track. I recently finished my 28 day #HealthyDinnerChallenge on Instagram, and about a week in I really started thinking about what I was going to et because I did not want to post a picture of pizza with that hashtag on Instagram. Using social media as a way to keep yourself accountable is a great way to stay motivated. Friends commented on what I ate and it kept me motivated to chose healthy options every night.
Provides Positive Reinforcement Research shows that getting a pat on the back can motivate you to be a healthier, more fit person. Sharing your progress with others often results in comments like, “Good job!” and “Keep up the great work!” And that kind of positive reinforcement can help you stick with your health and fitness goals. The positive comments I received on Instagram from my #HealthyDinnerChallenge totally helped me stick with it and I even upped my game to make better choices because the praise was great.
Strengthens Your Support Network
Sharing your goals and receiving support from your social circle, encourages others to share and get support too, it’s a positive feedback loop. The more you share, the stronger your community becomes, and the easier it is for everyone to reach their goals. Making a Facebook group with all your friends trying to get fit is one way to strengthen your support group. I made a new challenge that starts Monday, September 14th that a few of my friends are going to participate in. It is the #28DayFitnessChallenge. We are going to take a picture of ourselves after our workout, everyday for 28 days and then use that hashtag. This is going to strengthen our community, create accountability and provide positive reinforcement. Please add me on Instagram and join us! When you join us make sure to tag me in your picture, so I can see you and we can all support each other!
No Personal Space 