A team approach can benefit everyone
Community November Projects make exercise accessible and accountable
The fitness industry is capitalizing on the power of working out in a group to improve member retention and engagement. Small fitness studios are finding success within the once dominant big box fitness club industry, suggesting that the fundamental need to belong deserves to be a bigger player in the quest to get more people moving. Instead of boasting about the number of fitness machines or classes offered, boutique fitness studios invest in community. They believe catering to humans’ innate need to connect with each other is the key to keeping their clients coming back for more. CrossFit was one of the pioneers of this change, creating a strong culture of teamwork and accountability in the gym. The workouts are tough, and encouragement from fellow exercisers is standard practice despite the difference in fitness level and pace in which each exerciser tackles the workout of the day (WOD). And with the number of exercisers often outnumbering the available equipment, collaboration is necessary to ensure everyone completes the WOD. Many early CrossFit enthusiasts were former athletes accustomed to the teamwork approach to helping fellow members reach their potential. Community was developed from the connectedness that occurred while working together to achieve a common goal. The franchises’ success caused other leaders in the industry to see to the polarizing effect of fitness clubs where individuals never get to know the person on the treadmill beside them. Even individual fitness activities like running, cycling and swimming are easier to accomplish within a group. Clusters of like-minded athletes form organically, creating a sense of belonging in otherwise solo pursuits. The result is a co-operative of exercisers for which FOMO (fear of missing out) is motivation to get moving on days when the couch is calling louder than the workout gear lying in wait. The November Project is an example of the type of movement that harnesses the strength of community. It was started by a couple of Boston rowers looking for motivation to exercise outdoors during the winter months, and they created an early morning collective of individuals who depend on each other to get their workouts done. They used social media to share their workouts and stay connected when they physically disbanded. The group grew, gathered steam, gave itself a name and established a blog, Facebook page and Twitter account. The idea caught on and within a few years there were November Projects in cities around the world, all of which appeal to those who enjoy exercising beside someone who shares a similar interest. “Most running groups are focused on running,” said Derek Pangea, co-founder of Montreal’s November Project. “We’re focused on community.” Free to all, Pangea says the purpose of the November Project isn’t to become a faster runner but to make group exercise more accessible. The group in Montreal meets in the Old Port rain, shine, sleet, snow or hail every Wednesday at 6:30 a.m., and participants are better known for their group hugs than their speed. “We’re huggers,” said Pangea. “We greet people. We get to know their names and make them feel part of a family.” The November Project has developed its own lingo. Participants get “verbals” from exercisers, which is a commitment via social media to work out. If you break your verbal, you expose yourself to some good-natured social shaming under the We Missed You section of the blog. Compare the early morning experience of individuals who are part of the November Project to those who jog on the treadmill while watching CNN at the local big box gym. With no accountability to anyone other than themselves and no teammates to boost effort when motivation runs low, it’s easy to understand the attraction of training with a group. But working out with others doesn’t just make you better at working out with a group. Research into group dynamics has shown that exercising alongside others builds confidence and self-efficacy. So people who work out in groups become better at exercising on their own when they are away from a group.