Using Social Media to Power Your Workout

Achieving a fit body now has less to do with certified personal trainers and more to do with high-tech fitness devices, social media and public accountability. Long gone are the days where folks just figured out what kind of workout they'd like to pursue on their own and just privately did it. Most people now rely heavily on video games, fancy apps and twitter to keep them fit, motivated and honest. These new tools provide just enough guidance to give you some direction, a crowd of friends or "virtual friends" to brag to and more important, a crowd to call you out when you've been slacking off. Ah, the beauty of technology and social media never ends.

If you're ready to plot your attack on fitness, you should know where you're starting. Step on the scale, have some measurements taken or calculate your Body Mass Index or BMI. Once you know where you are, you'll be better qualified to figure out where you'd definitively like to go. Will you post your stats and goals on Facebook? That's a pretty brave thing to do, but I assure you it will enhance your dedication to changing your ways and accomplishing great things.

Once you've told the world what you plan to do, it's time to figure out what you're going to do. Downloading a free app like CardioTrainer can give you the direction and attention to detail you may be in need of.  While running, biking, walking or hiking, CardioTrainer keeps track of your progress using your phone's GPS. While your in motion, it will regularly update you with information like: how far you've gone, how fast you're moving, how many calories you've burned so far. All of this data comes through your ear buds, while your listening to your favorite songs. Nice, right?   These stats are great, because they keep you honest and will often encourage you to go just a little farther or burn a few more calories. When you've completed each workout, you can: save your route, share your accomplishments via social media, and use them to race against yourself during future workouts. Another great app to train outdoors with is RunKeeper.





If you've never been able to use personal motivation to achieve your physical best, you'll want to make great use of the "sharing". Sharing really does make your accomplishments and failures seem more real and more extreme, so getting yourself involved in an online fitness community eager to help you succeed is a must. Getting to know others who are fighting your same fight, or have made it through to the other side is why these communities are so powerful. If your spouse isn't supportive, there are millions of others on the Internet who will be. And if you actually know the people you're sharing with, won't you be eager to show them your progress in person? Sharing things such as "I just ran 2.7 miles in 33 minutes" will also unleash your cheering squad. So instead of coughing up $100 a day for a trainer to "woohoo!" for you, your friends can "woohoo" for you for free. It all matters. It all counts.

So if you've been searching for the right tools and motivation to pursue fitness, look no farther than your smart phone and your smart friends. Fitness doesn't have to be expensive and it doesn't have to be complicated; you may just need some real direction, some vigorous exercise and some emotional support. That! My friends ... is what technology and social media is all about.

Tweet your "weigh" to a healthy body by following these folks on Twitter; you'll be up to your eyebrows in smarty-pants fitness facts and fun ideas to work out with!
 
@weightwatchers
@travelfit
@menshealthmag
@womenshealthmag
@fitzness

Do you use social media to enhance your workouts or dedication to fitness? Let us know what's worked best for you and why!



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Clever Girls Collective is a social media marketing agency founded by women who wanted to use their deep marketing experience and broad social network relationships for good. We know that women who engage in social media are some of the most authentic, connected, trusted, and vocal influencers -- not only online, but "in real life". Fitz Koehler is a celebrity fitness expert, author of The Everything Flat Belly Cookbook, renowned speaker, and TV news personality who has a Master's Degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences. Visit her site Fitzness.com for training videos, advice, healthy recipes, original celebrity interviews and the scoop on the latest fitness, fashion and beauty tools.