It is well known to anyone that has played a team sport that at times, teammates can elevate your performance. They can push you beyond your limits and help you achieve results you could not attain by yourself.
This knowledge has been implemented across individual based events and sports by coaches in an attempt to take advantage of this natural phenomenon. Swim teams and athletic teams have been known to work together as a team with the aim of lifting individual performance with great success.
This element of sports psychology can be utilised by anyone, even you and me. Joining a group exercise program with a friend has shown to increase commitment levels and improve the results over those joining as individuals. Most people are more likely to stay committed to a cause when they know others are relying on them.
The key to this secret is the closer the relationship – the more powerful a motivator. It is really important if you are participating in group exercise to become friendly with your teammates and bring a positive energy. Groups thrive on this energy and amazing results follow.
I have trained several groups of non-athletes and the groups that establish this culture have more fun, have higher rates of attendance and always get better results! Group sessions thrive on energy and the enthusiasm of one individual is infectious. As a trainer, we try to find the individual that naturally leads and use them to lift the team. As a participant, whenever you have a little extra energy to spare, use it to encourage your team mates and watch it come back tenfold when you too are pushing yourself to the limit and need a lift.
On the other side of the coin, negativity not surprisingly breeds negativity. We see this at the highest level in all sports. Watch a key player in any team have an “off game” and more often than not you will see the other players’ skill level drop also. There is a connection, a “mob mentality” that is undeniable and it only takes one negative person to bring down a group. Don’t be that person!
Moral of the story – Always bring a positive energy to the gym, work with a friend or team mate, help motivate and push your partner and you will earn amazing results twice as fast! Remember we are learning all the time either consciously or unconsciously. An easy trick to living with more passion, more energy and healthier habits is by spending more time with people that live that life. The more friends you have that train hard, eat healthily and have a balanced lifestyle the easier it will be to stay motivated for you. Get amongst it!
Push the Limits and be proud of yourself.
