Make exercise your social hour, and you’re likely to stick with it. Social media makes it easy for strangers to meet up and exercise together.
Outdoor enthusiast Sheryl McGlochlin spotted this new genre of recreation, and shares five favorites with Studio 5.
The trend of plugging yourself into new fitness groups, using social media, is making life so fun!
You NEVER have to workout alone with whatever sport you want to participate in!
Benefits of exercising with a group:
Groups that exercise together may not have anything else at all in common! It’s great because it brings people together who may not think they would ever be friends or even acquaintances in any other setting.
Speaking from experience as a leader of a group, I also see people struggling socially. They have become “workaholics” and need to change their lives and find new friends. They know they are losing social skills and want to change. I believe you can never have enough active, healthy-minded friends! They are GOLD and will keep you on the right track throughout your life!
What should join a group?
People
· Who are hungry to try new things and meet others
· Who have a wide variety of skills, ability and experience
· From all walks of life and all ages
· Who are courageous!
· Who are willing to come by themselves and be open minded and friendly with the group.
· Who are coming for a specific sport or activity
· Who aren’t afraid to join a group and participate with a bunch of strangers!
· Who may have nothing in common with anyone else EXCEPT the actual sport itself!
I also see people who are in the process of moving to Utah from various parts of the world, who haven’t arrived yet. They know about our beautiful mountains and want to go hiking when they get here. They find out about my hiking group by doing a Google search, then start emailing me to get to know me better BEFORE they arrive. When they do get here, they instantly have a friend and fit right in. They don’t need to deal with a long, lonely time before getting acclimated. I have even helped new hikers find a place to live, etc.
About the leader
· In a group setting, there is always a leader or organizer
· They hold it together, with the help of some assistant organizers
· They generally don’t offer formal instruction except for a brief orientation before the event.
As a leader, social media makes it so easy to promote the group. For example:
· I can organize and promote quickly and broadly without spending much money.
· It allows people to find out what’s going on and “fit in” to a new environment VERY quickly!
What these 5 groups have in common:
Open to all adults – regardless of experience, skill or ability
A great way to make new friends while being active
Friendly environment
For support, a leader, organizer or coach will ease you into the group
Where to find a group:
· Meetup.com
· Adult Community Education
· Facebook
· Google Search
· Word of Mouth from locals
· Bulletin Boards at Outdoor Retail Stores i.e. REI
· City and County Parks and Recreation
· On location! – parks, trails, etc.
5 Featured Groups:
1. Hiking
Live and Thrive Outdoor Adventures Hiking Group
How often they meet: 3 times/week
To find out more about them: Adult Community Education, Meetup.com http://www.slcschools.org/departments/community-education/documents/2012-Fall-Course-Catalog.pdf, http://www.meetup.com/LiveAndThriveOutdoorAdventures/, http://liveandthrive.com/
2. Trail Running
Desert Sharks Triathlon Club
How often they meet: 4 – 6 times/week
To find out more about them:
Desert Sharks Triathlon Club (search name on FB)
Group runs are posted through FB and open to anyone.
Club website: desert-sharks.com
Runs posted are located throughout the valley and Wasatch Front including trails.
Typically, runs are held Monday evenings (spring thru fall), “Neighborhood Runs” Saturday mornings, and “Blair Witch Runs” often occur at Dimple Dell on a full moons (Spring thru Fall).
Distance & pace are accommodated by usually offering an out-and-back course, running for a set amount of time to re-group at the end (allowing individuals to run their own pace and distance).
Salt Lake City Track Club (Search name on FB)
Club contact: slctrack@xmission.com (Club President is Jim Milar)
Club website: slctrackclub.org
Other resources…
Running Stores
Wasatch Running Center (approx. 9000 S State, Midvale)
Salt Lake Running Co (700 East and 2100 South)
Run GR8 (approx. 12600 South 2700 West, Riverton)
All stores also offer neighborhood runs.
Wasatch Running Center hosts Tuesday night track workouts.
RUN GR8 has a party bus you can sign up for to take from the store to local half marathons. (A great Social Factor!)
As well, you can find a photo of some of our runners post Saturday morning run on our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/66497088584/
3. Swimming
Masters Swim Program at Dimple Dell
How often they meet:
6-8 times/week depending on the season. During the summer, it’s more frequent, and there are other opportunities to meet up for open water swimming.
Web: www.recreation.slco.org/dimpledell
4. Volleyball
Utah Outdoor Volleyball Association
How often they meet: Varies on the tournaments
How to find out about them:
http://www.uova.org/blog/
5. Family Adventure Walks in Nature
Family Adventures in Nature SLC
How often they meet: Varies
Family Adventures in Nature SLC is a local group dedicated to helping families connect their children to nature in and around the Salt Lake City region with regularly scheduled, year-round outings. We focus on outdoor free time and encourage adults to follow their children’s lead, fostering their natural sense of wonder and awe. Our main focus is to allow unstructured time to explore the outdoors.
Occasionally we will offer guided outings and special nature activities, crafts, etc. Family Adventures in Nature (FAN) is open to ANYONE with the ambition to connect their family to nature. We want to help you take the next step in this direction. So, whether you are a seasoned outdoor enthusiast or a beginner, you are welcome. Bring your sense of adventure and be prepared to have fun!
How to find out about them:
http://www.meetup.com/FamilyAdventuresinNatureSLC/
More resources
They have a print magazine – available free in most libraries
http://utahfamily.com/fitfam_calendar.php
Most of these clubs have weekly group rides
http://highaltitude2u.com/utah-cycling-clubs.php
In-line Skating Calendar
http://www.skatenow.net/events_page.html
Sponsor group skates
http://www.skatenow.net/
Bike Polo
http://leagueofbikepolo.com/forum/polo-travel/2009/11/07/hey-salt-lake-city
http://www.saltcycle.org/2011/04/bike-polo-in-salt-lake-and-ogden.html
Utah county group mentions stroller walks
http://www.childavenue.com/pages/playgroups_pages/playgroups_ut.html
Stroller Friendly Hikes & Walks
http://www.trekaroo.com/lists/utahs-wasatch-front-stroller-friendly-hikes-walks
Hiking, walking, running with a compass
http://www.o-utah.org/
Letterboxing – like Geocaching but without a GPS
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogscheapchick/54404443-67/boxes-hidden-search-utah.html.csp
http://slsites.com/dir/geocaching
Geocaching
http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/geocaching-84100
http://slsites.com/dir/geocaching
Volkssport, Sponsor Walks
Some include an incentive – a pin or patch
Cost is minimal – usually 3-5 dollars
http://www.knightsofknee.com/footloos/
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