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. doterra.com / 35