Connecting with Fitness Communities

Having a training partner or plugging into a fitness community is important for athletes of all levels to provide encouragement, accountability and tips/suggestions. But how can you find a group to join? It's actually much simpler than you would imagine. Here are the best ways to find a fitness community to support you in your efforts to get or stay in shape:

Meetups or Local Clubs

Finding people in your local area who share your athletic interests is a great way to meet new people and get active. You don't have to live in a big city to find a local running or biking club, a Meetup for hikers or tennis players. You can even join a local league if playing a team sport like soccer or basketball interests you. Many of these leagues are social as well, which means that you may come out of it with a few more close friends as well.

Classes at a Local Gym

If you have a membership to a local gym, you can join a class that they offer to find more people like you. If they are in the same yoga or spinning class, you can be assured that they enjoy the same type of workouts that you do and if they are members, then they likely live in the area. If you strike up a conversation with someone, don't be afraid to ask him/her to workout with you so that you have a training partner.

Coworkers

You may be surprised to learn that some of your coworkers enjoy the same fitness activities that you do or have the same fitness goals that you do. Getting together before work, during a lunch break or after work to workout provides a great way to stay on track with your workout regimen.

Social Media Groups

There are communities on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to unite people who like every type of athletic activity that you can imagine. This is a good way to get connected if you enjoy a more niche sport like ballet, fencing or archery. While you will not actually be able to get out and active with these people, they are a good resource for exchanging tips and information about training, diets and other topics.

App-Based Communities

If you use a workout or diet-tracking app on your phone, there are usually communities built in that you can share your data with and connect to in order to have a wellness support system. If you aren't shy about sharing your user profile, this is a convenient way to get connected.