Living Magazine Winter 2018 doTERRA Living Magazine | Page 35
competition with your friends and, whether it is the support or
competition aspect, you will all improve your chances of
integrating more physical activity into your daily lives.
Attend Exercise Classes
Whom and what you surround yourself with doesn’t just influence
how much you exercise, but also your focus and intensity
when you do. Time-use data research has shown that social
environment increases time spent exercising and (depending
on the specific activity) how vigorous the exercise session is. 4
Those who exercise together tend to become fast friends
and competitors, resulting in improved health outcomes for
everybody. Don’t be afraid to walk through the doors and try any
one of these new group-focused training modalities. The social
environment alone may pay dividends in increased exercise
intensity and adherence to long-term health and fitness goals.
Be the Change
If your social group, home, or workplace culture isn’t one that
gives you the constant urge to get out of your chair and perform
air squats, be the one to change it. You never know who may be
watching you. The easiest way to gain a workout partner is for
others to see (or at least hear about) you doing it. It may be
uncouth to perform push-ups in the halls of your workplace, but
don’t be shy about discussing your exercise exploits with your
coworkers or sharing photographic evidence on social media.
What optimum health means to you is a very individual thing, but
your chances of reaching your goals (whatever they are) are
greatly impacted by your surrounding environment. For the health
of yourself and everybody around you, immerse yourself in a
health-promoting culture and be that culture.
1. Christakis N. and Fowler J. The spread of obesity in a large social network over 32 years.
The New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;357:370-379. https://www.nejm.org/doi/
full/10.1056/NEJMsa066082#t=article
2. Foster D, Linehan C, Kirman S, Lawson G, James G. Motivating physical activity at work:
using persuasive social media for competitive step counting. ACM. 2010: 111-16.
3. Zhang J, et al. Support or competition? How online social networks increase physical
activity: A randomized controlled trial. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2016;4:453-458.
4. Dunton F, et al. Environmental influences on exercise intensity and duration in a U.S.
time use study. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009;41(9):1698-1705.
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