Social Media

Source: http://toprankblog.com/

I got thinking the other day (scary right!), why not use social media as my Living Healthy Buddy.  My schedule is so hectic that finding the time to meet with someone to go to the gym daily or every other day is hard.  Having a real person to discuss goals and help reinforce those goals through different aspects is great but not always realistic.  After looking into a few social media websites and speaking to my brother; I decided one of the best ways to stay connected with people is through technology.  For example, I become motivated knowing that my brother ran 13 miles yesterday at marathon pace of 7 minute miles; reading about his struggles, daily victories, and general tips about his sport is great.  Not only do I become motivated to get my bum moving, but I think if he can find the time to run 13 miles so can I.  Another great part about social media; you develop a virtual friend base that you can take anyway. 

I personally like reading other fitness blogs, both professional and average Joe's but I really like http://www.dailymile.com/.  This is a great website! On this website you can track your workouts, motivate yourself and others, calculate mileage based on a mapping system, compete with friends based on a workout, find local events, and training partners.  It's a fantastic way to connect with others and stay motivated.  Starting a blog or updating people on Facebook and Twitter are also great options.

Sharing your story of why you started exercising, personal struggles along the way, and connecting with others is an important part of exercising.  It's a humbling experience knowing I'm not the only one who ran to be pretty and thin, battled injury, took time off, ran their first half marathon, or found peace and success in difficult runs. 

Today's song is Don't Stop Me Now by Queen.  Keep up the great work guys; keep walking/running.  One step at a time we all will achieve our goals!