How Physical Activity Can Help You Make Friends

March 17, 2021
Written by:
Guest Author
Elementary Homeschool, Homeschooling Middle School, Volunteer Contributors

Guest post by Heidi Rosenberg.

Most often, exercising is done for health and physical fitness. There are more than enough benefits which come with proper exercising such as aiding in weight management, alleviating sleeping disorders, reducing stress and anxiety, minimizing the probability of high blood pressure and cardiac problems, improving memory and mental health, and the best of all  – making friends!

Of course, physical activity helps you get fit – but you should know exercising can also make your social life ‘fit’ too! Exercising in the company of another person or persons is beneficial in these ways:

  • It’s fun! – You get to talk, laugh, and share different ideas with your physical activity buddies.
  • You will always feel motivated- there will always be some motivation to keep up with your friends.
  • It is possible to cost-share – If you decide to get a trainer, unlike being alone, your friends will surely chip in to get him paid hence you get to save some money.
  • It is safer for you- In case of an accident, like injuries, your buddies can assist you.
  • The bigger the training group, the more the exercising ideas and suggestions there will be at your disposal.
  • With these pros, you will agree with me that you need as many friends to exercise as you can get. Here are some ideas of ways you can do physical activities with your friends.

Types of Social Physical Activities

Walk or run beyond the neighborhood — You can go for a walk, or organize a cross-country running competition with a group of friends who are at different fitness levels. Besides running being fun, it can actually help in burning calories faster, building strength, and is good for your heart.

Biking — Biking is a sure way of keeping fit. It helps in strengthening your heart muscles hence lowering your risk of getting heart diseases, stroke, and high blood pressure. Consider getting a motorized bike kit because motorized bikes have enough power to help you cruise through rough roads and hilly paths even if you are an amateur biker. Their assisted pedaling can also help improve your average biking speed.

Swimming — If you can access a swimming pool, make a habit of organizing pool parties so that you can do this physical activity together with your friends and have fun while at it. You can also take part in a swimming lesson at the beach if you live close to one. Swimming is a good workout for your arms, back, legs, and glutes.

But what if you don’t have such buddies you do physical activities with – can you get new friends throughout this process? Yes, you can! These tips will show you how:

How To Find New Friends From Sports

  • Join in or initiate a running/walking club — You can come up with the idea of walking or running, or any other social exercising activity, and pass the word around your neighborhood. The neighbors can join and invite their friends, then the friends invite their friends too and before you know it, you have a large circle. There are also existing fitness clubs which you can request to join.
  • Registering in sports clubs — You sure got to have at least one favorite game. Be it soccer, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, or even dancing. There are clubs within your reach. Sports club membership offers a defined structure to do physical activities.
  • Be on the lookout for charitable events in the community — NGOs have a tendency of organizing cross-country marathons or walks to help raise funds to assist the less privileged in society. Consider joining in on such events because you will have guaranteed company and still do physical activities. It’s surely not hard to say hey and exchange pleasantries with your neighbor as you wait for the commencement of the event. You might actually realize you have so much in common with them and make plans for future exercising together. Also, the walks or runs are always for a good course and giving back to the community.
  • Try something new — For instance, you might not be into yoga but your friend is. It would be to your advantage for you to join his yoga club and possibly learn the basics. That way you get to talk with a few people who are willing to let you in their world and possibly share your way of exercising. That is a step forward to converting them from being acquaintances to friends.
  • Engage in physical activities that are simple for you — Whenever you attend the gym, be sure to engage in activities that don’t get you totally worn out or deeply engaged. Do something that allows you to side chat with your immediate neighbor. Get to know their exercising journey and also share yours. This is a guarantee you will never have a dull moment in the gym.

Exercising by itself has amazing benefits for you! You’ll want to start if you have not started yet! In fact, exercising is a great way for homeschoolers to interact with others, meet friends, and socialize!

This article was contributed by Heidi Rosenberg.

 

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