How Social Media Has Changed My Fitness Game

Good Friday Morning!!!

I am off of work today and it is set up to be a glorious day!! Plans include, coffee, of course, which I am consuming as I speak, Doggie Day care pick up, a nice lonnnnnggg walk downtown, a nap of course, some reading, and some catching up on laundry, which I hate to do.

So last night I was running downtown at my favorite spot ever and when I am running and in the groove, I get to thinking about random things. I can go on one thing to another in my brain with the sound of the pavement under my feet. You should hear the thoughts I have when I start on my long runs, I clear a lot of clutter that way. Okay, so yesterday while I was running, I was thinking about social media and how it has really changed the way of fitness and weight loss and healthy living aspects of my life.

Before Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, when you worked out or ate food or really just lived, no one really knew and quite frankly no one probably would have cared. I found pictures, yes, really pictures in my hand of what would now be called a selfie I had taken of myself in the mirror, before it was cool. Remember having to wait forever for those. Or if you were high tech, you had a camera you could upload to your computer to save the file and print it out. 

But no one knew what you had for breakfast, lunch or dinner. No one knew what new foods were high in points or ones that fit your macros perfectly before. Now that is all changed and I have to say that Social Media, has lifted my fitness game to all new levels. When I started with WW years ago, Social Media, specifically Instagram kept me in the game. Searching hashtags of weight watchers members, finding people who had similar interests, seeing posts about new food, different ways to cook the food and new products to help you stay motivated and engaged.

Then in that same way, finding my running family. When I started running, I went onto Instagram and found people who lived by me, loved running, I found new running products that way, but more importantly, watching them post about their runs or cross training or successes and not so great runs, made me a better runner, not only made me one, BUT I wanted to be one. Geez that was a super run on sentence with that one.

Social media has given me a cheering squad, I never knew I had. Total strangers who post on your wall or pictures, encouraging you to do better next time, keep your head up and congratulate you on a job well done. People you have never even met before, except through hashtags and pictures or SnapChats. It is kind of amazing.

I met one of my best friends, Nanci through Instagram. We met simply through our love of WW and running and living close by. From there we met up one day for a run, not knowing anything about each other and now we are the best of friends. Amazing!!!!

Social media holds you a accountable too in a way that is almost hard to explain. There is a deep satisfaction posting about your work out or run from that day. If it is a proud run, you want people to know how great it was, or if it was a bad run, you want them to know it happens, but you are not letting it get you down. 

I know some people make fun of others that if you didn't post your picture from lunch, then what did you really eat, but I love posting food pictures because it might just give someone that idea to eat healthier or try something different. Most of the newer foods I find to try, I have gotten from someones post on Instagram, because of their recommendation. I have tried online only products because of recommendations and changed the game of life, basically. Hello Protein Doughnuts with fun toppings for less than 200 calories, LIFE CHANGING.

My weight loss and running has amplified because of Social Media, I use it to my advantage and want to engage in the world and let everyone know that if I can do it so can you. Yes, there are some awful people out there who tear people down because of they have nothing better to do, but there are so many more people who just want to lift you up too.

If you are just starting out on a fitness journey or aren't sure where to start, start in Social Media, start with Instagram, click on some hashtags, follow those fitness enthusiasts and you will be surprised how much your fitness life will change.