There is a saying that misery loves company, but is that what is really going on in the gym when buddies work out together? That idea might be good for a few laughs, but I believe that those people who do exercise together do it more for encouragement and support.
A recent “Time Magazine” article discussed whether socializing can actually keep you thinner. Researchers from The Ohio State University found that mice that were put in a socially challenging environment that included other mice, wheels, toys, tunnels and mazes, lost more abdominal fat than control mice and gained less weight when fed a high fat diet.
Even though the researchers were looking at the physiological cause and effect of the study, I feel as though this is something we have known in the fitness industry for a long time. Some competitive interaction that is generally friendly and happy is often a component of many activities in the gym from group exercise classes to basketball and swimming.
There are a number of ways this theory can be applied to nutrition services. One easy way to bring people together in a positive way is to simply provide any kind of nutrition education — healthy eating classes, cooking classes, weight loss coaching. When I have seen “Biggest Loser”-style programs done in clubs, I think it has been a lot friendlier and happier than on the TV show.
I have done a contest in the club where each participant agreed to lose a certain percentage of their own body weight in 12 weeks. This seems fairer than specifying a number of pounds for everyone. The participants all paid something into a “pot” and those who met or exceeded their goal split the pot.
If you didn’t want to have a competition, you could simply set up a system of accountability where the member has positive interactions with a coach. Sometimes someone wishing to lose weight really just needs to know that someone else will be expecting them to weigh in on a certain day and holding them accountable. There are plenty of weight loss systems that use that technique, right?
I like to give members a graph to track their weight so they can focus on a downward trend rather than just the numbers on the scale. At a minimum, provide a way for members to have access to nutrition education and then follow up with mentoring.
It doesn’t really matter whether there is competition involved or even a specific goal. What really matters is that there is friendly social interaction and support. The club environment is the perfect venue to cultivate positive relationships that will foster healthy eating and weight loss.
Judith Samuels, M.A. is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and master personal trainer at Sport&Health Clubs in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. She can be reached via e-mail at judi@judisamuels.com.
