30 January 2013 ~ 0 Comments

Taylor’s Swifts: Why Groups Are Better Than Going At It Alone

By admin

Happy Wednesday! I want to apologize if you tried to check out LiftingRevolution Monday… we had some issues but they have been worked out. Hopefully everything has been corrected and it’s all clear sailing from here on out.

I also know that Wednesdays are normally “ASK AWAY” so I will still be working on this for tomorrow! If you have questions, just post them below in the comments or you can email me (taylorryan0406@gmail.com) for anonymity.

You already know that I have some big fitness goals for this year. With the half marathon over, and the trail run over, now I can focus a bit more on the Palmetto70 project.

new team palmetto70As you can see there have been a few changes in the line up. Ashton is on board and Felicia has joined in on the fun! 

Aside from the Marine Corp Mud Run, this is the first team event that I have done… well, ever.

I have always considered myself more of an individual fitness enthusiast. I grew up doing sports like gymnastics… where if I didn’t compete well, it was no one’s fault but my own.

While I love the idea of team sports, the truth is that my competitive nature kept me away from them. I am much harder on myself and simply never liked the idea of having to rely on others for a particular outcome.

But that’s about to change come April, when 5 ladies and myself will tackle a relay race of 70 miles.

And you know what? I am excited.

Team events definitely have their benefits and I can’t wait.

Benefits Of Group Fitness

group fitness

In fact, research shows that people that are a part of a group or team are more motivated to stick with fitness, lose weight and keep it off.

Here are a few other reasons I cannot wait to do something with others instead of all by my lonesome.

1. The feeling of camaraderie/sisterhood. We all like to feel a part of something and doing group activities is a great way to connect, build bonds, and feel accepted. When you share an experience with others, that is something that can not be broken.

laney-teamwork
It took some serious team work to get my 19 month old niece to make cookies (Maybe not a ton, I just think this picture is cute)

2. Mental Strength. According to a study carried out by the University of Florida, team sports can help improve critical thinking, patience, problem solving, and confidence. No matter how old we are, these are nice to always be working on.

3. Accountability. There is no slacking off with training when you are preparing for a team event. If you slack off then there is the fear of not only letting yourself down but your teammates. It’s no longer just about you. This is huge because on the days where I might want to skip out on training, I know the other ladies are working hard so I need to as well.

4. Excitement. How freaking fun is is going to be having some of my closest fitness-minded friends cheering me on? And how much fun will it be to have the chance to do the same. Instead of teasing each other about who will win (uh hum, Ashton), we are working for the same team. Not against each other like when doing a normal race.

boot camp matching game

What you’ve never played boot camp fitness matching? It gets hardcore!

5. Leadership. I love taking the role as a leader, it brings a feeling of accomplishment and a new challenge in my life to have to organize an event for others. I feel responsible for each teammate’s comfort, experience and overall happiness with the activity.

6. Sharing is caring. We all have off days and we all have different strengths. The great thing about working as a team is that we can go off of each other’s strengths and cover up each others weaknesses. Some of us might be great at fast and short runs while others are strong at long and steady pace runs. That works perfectly and makes the team stronger as a whole. Plus if one of us is having a bad day, we can all work a bit harder to keep the team moving ahead.

 –What about you: Do you love working as a team or alone?
-Do you have any questions for Ask Away? 

T-Shirt Creativity Needed

On another note, I am wanting to design t-shirts for our team. Since we are “Taylor’s Swifts” I was thinking about tag lines like:

“We Are Never Ever Ever Giving Up… Like Ever” 

Or perhaps: “The only thing faster than us is a Taylor Swift relationship” 

Thoughts? Suggestions? 

This post is sponsored by the Palmetto 200 Relay Race. Check it out if you’re going to be in the South East the weekend of April 13th! ANd of course make sure to say hey to me! :)

 

The post Taylor’s Swifts: Why Groups Are Better Than Going At It Alone appeared first on Lifting Revolution for Women – Change Your Life With Taylor.

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