However, new research finds support for a more holistic perspective on health and fitness , one that goes beyond the standard model of health simply as a matter of biology.
What is this perspective? Your social networks, and not only your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; We’re also talking about your old-school social network: you, in real life, are connected to other people you know.
This alternative perspective is known as the biopsychosocial model and takes into account the role of psychological, emotional, and social variables in determining health. This research suggests that total body health does not exist in an unhealthy psychological, emotional, or social environment.
If your primary goal is to focus on how to become physically stronger, it may seem irrelevant or beyond the scope of physical fitness and body composition to consider the role of your thoughts, emotions, and social environment. However, many scholars find that health behaviors are inextricably linked with psychological, emotional, and social factors.
For those who have experienced the immobilizing consequences of psychological difficulties such as depression or anxiety, the relationship between psychology and health may be more tangible. But is it possible that your friends and social networks can also transform your general physical health? The answer is yes.
In fact, decades of research demonstrate the many ways your social environment can influence your physical health.
In other words, despite your best intentions to live a healthy lifestyle, engage in an optimal exercise program, and eat a well-balanced, whole-food diet, not considering the influence of your social environments may be sabotaging your physical success.
Researchers studying the relationship between social interactions, social networks, and physical health have found that your immediate friends, family, colleagues, role models, and social support networks have the power to significantly encourage or frustrate physical progress . How can this be?
Here are five ways your social media can sculpt your overall fitness.
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Friends, family, and colleagues can set the standard for health goals and behaviors.
Unbeknownst to you, many of your personal health goals and achievements are based on and measured against the health goals and achievements of others. This natural tendency to compare yourself to others may be more apparent with the influx of social media, where it is now possible to “follow” the lives of top athletes and competitors.
Likewise, your personal health goals and behaviors are also influenced by the “perceived norms” or what you assume to be the typical health habits of your friends and colleagues.
You may have noticed that when a close friend in your social network begins to make serious progress and physical changes, it reminds you of the success that is possible for their own goals and can encourage you to refocus on your goals and move further toward wellness. , your social networks and fitness examples can become an inspiration to level up your personal fitness goals.
Of course, this tendency to personal comparison can be detrimental if you set unrealistic fitness goals based on others. This just goes to show the power of social comparison in shaping how you see yourself. However, when executed with caution to set realistic goals, social comparison can be a great way to naturally motivate yourself and draw inspiration from those around you.
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Social support protects the body from the negative consequences of stress.
As noted in a previous blog post, stress threatens healthy body composition by releasing cortisol, which can lower testosterone and growth hormone levels , inhibiting muscle building and affecting fat levels.
Cortisol is released in the body in response to stress, and studies find that the body is particularly likely to release excess cortisol in the face of social or evaluative stress , such as during a job interview or an unfamiliar social context.
While stress is a natural response to environmental threats, shared by all animals, social stress can put great strain on the human body. Experiences like rejection, social isolation, or loneliness can weaken you physically.
Another reason why social support can be crucial in times of stress is that stress is linked to weight gain in adults. Due largely to the release of cortisol, high levels of stress can lead to fluctuations in weight and an increase in abdominal fat . Taken together, these studies reveal the importance of self- care in buffering the negative effects of stress on the body.
Perhaps you’ve found that you intuitively want to connect with friends and family during stressful times, but chances are you haven’t realized the protective power these social ties have on your health. People often underestimate the importance of these social connections; And when life gets hectic, it’s easy to prioritize work and other obligations over social bonding time.
However, this research suggests that taking time to meet a friend or call a loved one may be just as important as going to the gym in protecting against muscle loss or abdominal fat gain, as these social interactions protect against the physically debilitating effect of stress on the body.
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Physical behaviors (or lack thereof ) can be contagious
Decades of research finds that the likelihood that you will start and continue to engage in health behaviors can be predicted by how prominent those behaviors are in your social network. Even when it comes to important health outcomes like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and smoking behaviors, social media can predict your personal health behavior.
Perhaps you can identify a time in your own life when you experienced the power of social contagion, unconsciously adopting the behaviors of others. For example, imagine you start drinking high-calorie mixed coffee drinks every day at work simply because most of your colleagues do the same, and “daily coffee” has become a social tradition in your office.
Or you join your close friends at social gatherings for their regular smoke breaks, because the experience of chatting outdoors with friends is enjoyable.
The good news is that you can also use the power of social contagion to your advantage, as healthy behaviors can also be contagious in social situations. For example, you’re more likely to start running every morning if you have a running buddy, or refrain from drinking alcohol if your friends host alcohol-free gatherings.
Studies find that people placed in tight-knit and supportive social networks are much more likely to meet their health goals, compared to people placed in groups that are less interconnected. This study finds that a sense of personal connection is crucial in determining the power of a social network.
Taken together, this research suggests that not only is it important to find a social network of people who share similar health goals and help motivate you, but that social connection is key. The persuasive power of a social network is more robust when your social networks provide close links between a cohesive group of members.
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The presence of other people makes goals seem more attainable
Finally, studies show that the presence of another person can influence perceptions of how difficult a physical task seems. This phenomenon has been examined in multiple studies, in various contexts, but the classic study asks people to estimate the steepness of a hill.
This study examined two groups of single individuals or individuals accompanied by a friend. Each individual was asked to rate, by visual assessment, how difficult they thought a particular challenge would be: in this study, the steepness of a hill.
Surprisingly (or perhaps not), participants who were accompanied by a friend tended to report that the hill seemed less steep and daunting, compared to those who braved the hill alone. Being with someone can help lighten the load and make goals feel more attainable .
So the next time you’re faced with that grueling cardio session or the most strenuous part of your workout, remember that the dreaded part of your workout can be more accessible when you have a friend by your side.
Networks for optimal fitness
Just as it is more difficult to find a healthy whole food meal at a fast food restaurant, it is also more difficult to meet fitness and body composition goals in an unfavorable social environment.
Limiting your health focus to diet and exercise is as blind as a doctor performing cardiovascular surgery without any recommendations to eliminate fat, salt, and inactivity from his patients’ lives.
Careful consideration of the ways in which your own social networks can help or frustrate your health, along with traditional efforts to control exercise, diet, and lifestyle behaviors can allow you to more fully utilize the resources available to you to stay motivated and healthy. committed to your fitness goals.
These new insights allow you to take a more holistic view, using the influence of your social media to ultimately facilitate greater success in your pursuit of optimal fitness and body composition.
