The Power of Community in Reaching your Health Goals
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
Coming off the heels of our latest (mind blowing!!) Your Way to Wellness group program, one theme stuck out that made a HUGE IMPACT on my client’s individual success - and that was COMMUNITY.
While everyone’s health journey is uniquely personal and individualized, having a community of women with similar goals walking along their journey right beside you provides invaluable accountability and support.
Feedback from clients from our most recent Your Way to Wellness 8 Week Program.
I see the same feedback on the importance of the community in both my Women’s Wellness Club, our special membership group for ongoing health coaching, curated wellness events and workshops, robust resource library, and also in my Mind-Body Reset group programs.
“EMPOWERED WOMEN, EMPOWER WOMEN”
The virtual support provides a safe place for all of us to share struggles and success along the way, to be able to inspire and cheer each other on, and to share ideas for healthy meals and encouragement to take time for their own wellbeing. This is especially important for those of us who might not have family or friends who practice a healthy lifestyle. Having an engaged community like Your Way to Wellness gives you a network of women in your life where healthy behaviors are considered the “norm.” When choosing healthy habits is accepted practice, it becomes easier to do them and stay CONSISTENT!
This is all backed up by research!
A 2018 study looked at the effectiveness of a 15 week online weight loss program in 704 participants. Roughly half of the participants enlisted a “buddy” for the program while the other half participated alone. Results found those with a weight loss buddy lost more weight and inches compared to those without the buddy support. It was also noted that a buddy combined with high accepting and high challenging messages resulted in the largest decreases in body mass index and waist circumference.
Additionally, studies have found having a strong social support group is linked to increased healthy habits like fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity.
“When “I” is replaced by “We”, even ILLNESS becomes WELLNESS”
No matter your health goal, having a coach and a group community is key to putting and keeping any healthy habit in place. Beyond the knowledge, expertise and resources a coach can provide, having an outside source of support will hold you more accountable to your goals and the community provides ongoing motivation and emotional support throughout your journey’s ups and downs.
If you have health goals you’ve been working towards and are looking for accountability and a supportive sisterhood, you’re in the right place.
I’m BEYOND excited to announce we are starting our next round of my signature Your Way to Wellness group program on April 22, 2024! This program gets better and better every time and delivers my clients the community, tools, habits, and results they keep for LIFE.
***BONUS!*** When you enroll by April 1, you will receive a special early bird DISCOUNT of $200 OFF our renowned life-changing program! Grab your spot in the link below and use code HEALTHY2024 during registration for your discount!
As always, I’m here to support you! Be sure to subscribe to Nursing Your Way to Wellness for all the latest in health and wellness, including my best tips and tricks, recipes, programs, exclusive savings, and more! You’ll get my Ultimate Self Care Kit to your inbox right away! This is the perfect jumpstart for your wellness routine!
References:
Rene Dailey, Lynsey Romo, Sarah Myer, Cathy Thomas, Surabhi Aggarwal, Kelly Nordby, Madison Johnson & Carolyn Dunn (2018) The Buddy Benefit: Increasing the Effectiveness of an Employee-Targeted Weight-Loss Program, Journal of Health Communication, 23:3, 272-280, DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2018.1436622
Spanier PA, Allison KR. General social support and physical activity: an analysis of the Ontario Health Survey. Can J Public Health. 2001 May-Jun;92(3):210-3. doi: 10.1007/BF03404308.
Van der Put A, Ellwardt L. Employees' healthy eating and physical activity: the role of colleague encouragement and behaviour. BMC Public Health. 2022 Nov 1;22(1):2004. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14394-0.
