The new fun zones

Aditi Garg

Move over 'bonding over food', 'bonding over fitness' is the new in thing. An increasing number of people are making fitness buddies who are their friends too. Their interaction is not limited to just their fitness routine but extends to their social life as well. With the focus on fitness becoming all important, fitness buddies are the new best friends. 

Rising consciousness

Growing health concerns mean more awareness regarding fitness. People worry about what they eat, the amount of exercise that they get making fitness a primary concern. Two or more like-minded individuals may decide to join a fitness course or they may become friends once they meet in such a setting. The common thread of health consciousness is enough to unite them.  

There are some who travel a lot or whose work leaves them little time to socialise. For such people a website like www.joggingbuddy.com is a great option. Tony Piedade, founder and CEO of Joggingbuddy, says, "Jogging is a great way to get fit. It doesn't need much more than a pair of good running shoes. Often, people lose motivation and become bored of the same routes, the same places. Running with a partner is a great way to discover new places and have someone to push you a little harder. With joggingbuddy.com, you can find people to run with anywhere. We have members in India and in 120 other countries as well, and that is a big family of runners that you can connect with.” Their growing numbers show that it makes fitness a social activity, fun and for life. 

Making healthy connection 

Friendships that start with fitness as a bond, at times, turn into close relationships. Ratri, fitness head at Nritya Sutra, says, "We hold zumba fitness classes and parties which are really catching on. These classes help in improving the rapport that people share. Our classes at West End, New Delhi, see friends coming in together and even other people meeting at our classes and becoming close friends. It is like an extension of their social life, only this version is much healthier. The energy and motivation in these groups is so infectious that the group members go out for lunches and coffees, and get-togethers at each others' homes as they relate to each others' health goals in a better way than people who are not a part of the clique."

Towards a common goal 

While the number of memberships to fitness institutes is increasing manifold, attendance is another matter altogether. Sometimes it is sheer laziness, at other times it is a lack of motivation. In a study conducted by Virgin Active Health Clubs, which studied a group of 1,000 women, has found that 64 per cent of them who went for exercise or to the gym with their friends were more likely to train longer, work out more frequently and burn more calories than if they did it alone. As many as 31 per cent of them felt that their friends provided them with the much needed motivation to stay fit. Because it is more fun to exercise with friends, it is more like a social event than an exhausting exercise session. 

Not just exercising, even going on a diet is fun when there are friends to compare notes with. Ritika Lamba, a Ludhiana-based dietician, says, "We started a weight-loss competition with 10 members who are competing against each other and six of them are good friends. They discuss their achievements, motivate each other and make and change plans, alternating between dancing, walking jogging and exercising to achieve the maximum possible results." She feels it is a great way of reaching your target of fitness and diet.

A lifestyle choice

Jas K Shan of Dance Dacha, Chandigarh, feels the main purpose of thes classes is to get people together in a familial atmosphere where they are a part of fitness routines. She says, "The classes involve team and rapport building exercises that forges tremendous connections. I have seen people connect emotionally without judging one another." Preeti Sardana and her group of friends met at Dance Dacha and from there their friendship grew and now extends to their respective families. Preeti says their being fitness lovers was the undercurrent that brought them together. 

A research paper by Scott E. Carrell, Mark Hoekstra and James E. West has found that peer effect on fitness is about 40 to 70 per cent as large as the effect of their own fitness prior to the random assignment of these peers. Also, the least fit members had the most effect, proving that poor physical fitness can be caught from your friends. Another study at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Ohio, says that not just adults, children are also more likely to exercise with friends who exercise.

Given the busy schedules, many people can barely fit a fitness regimen into their lives. Being pressed for time, the time that they spend exercising is probably the only time they have for a social life. It is but natural that fellow fitness lovers they meet there become their friends.

Playtime with friends

Mumbaikar Rakhee Bathija and her group of friends are training for a marathon together and they also participate together. Going by the name of Crazy Chembur Striders, they are associated with Striders, a talented training group. She says, “A marathon is a life changer, not just because of the run but also the journey to the run. Being with our pals makes us look forward to the training, so much so that my mind is alert half an hour before the alarm goes off. It is about meeting like-minded people, starting the day on a positive note, celebrating each other’s achievements of reaching the next milestone to podium finishes. Over three years, we have become and made superb friends just by training and running together, motivating each other, seeking inspiration from every one and arguing about stops and pace, bonding over a common goal for different reasons. We chill out at our morning meets at NCPA over dates and electrol. Once a year we have a party where we dress up in regular clothes which is a sea change from what we are used to seeing each other in; dry fits and running shoes.” Yashodhan Sandhu, another member of Crazy Chembur Striders, can be the poster boy for running with friends and its benefits. He not just made friends but also lost 46 kg training for the marathon.