Social Media a key motivator for gym-goers

Want to meet friends at the gym? Update your facebook status via your iPhone or Android to let them know you’re there! Openness, information flow and minimalism are some of the ideals that motivated facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to develop the world’s biggest social networking phenomenon that is growing every day. Social networking sites help people to share ideas and make connections with other people, making the world seem smaller and life a little more exciting.

So what does facebook or any other online network have to do with those who go to the gym exactly? Generation Y’ers have grown up in a world of instant communication and technology. Social Media sites provide a place where they can go online and connect with their fitness peer group, get motivated and stay focussed.

The benefits of Social Media to gym-goers include:

Forming groups to stay connected

By joining an online group of people who share the passion of going to the gym can provide motivation, focus and goal setting to happen naturally.

Making fitness fun

Social media provides people with a creative outlet – for instance a gym client might set up an event on facebook to establish a walking group. Another idea might be to tweet their network of friends letting them know of an upcoming charity fundraiser.

Connect with Personal Trainers

Gym clients can connect with online personal trainers from their gym who are on twitter, to stay informed of new ideas and feel connected to their mentors. There may be an option to sign up for a daily inspirational quote sent to your iPhone from a well-known gym celebrity.

YouTube

Learn how to master a particular pilates move or yoga stance by searching on YouTube, or sign up to a particular YouTube channel on nutrition and diet.

It’s an exciting era where fitness and technology combine to offer more opportunities for people to connect and gain focus.

• Bio

AIF

The Australian Institute of Fitness

The Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF) is the largest and longest established fitness training organisation in Australia, with dynamic training methods and expert course coaches nationwide - spanning fitness, massage and nutrition. The AIF qualifies more fitness professionals than any other provider in Australia, as well as offering a broad range of continuing education courses (CEC), upskilling resources and partnership programs for existing industry.