Jane and I were taking a yoga class together when we were on vacation. The teacher was great. In one class she had us work on Warrior 3, a challenging pose, in a variety of ways. At the end of this, she wanted to show us that things are easier when you do them in community than when you do them alone, so she had us lock our forearms together with the person on either side of us and do it one more time. Of course, she was right! “Community” is our code word to receive $5 off your first visit this month.
Community is useful when you have a health challenge. I am going through treatment for bladder cancer. It is a very treat-able cancer to get, but it is still incredibly helpful to have a friend that has gone through this whole process and is able to tell me what to expect at each stage. I was telling another friend how David and his wife first introduced us to ballroom dance classes and then later to making our own Kefir, and now he is my go-to guy for info on bladder cancer and immunotherapy as he has just completed treatment for his. My friend’s reaction was that he should avoid ballroom dancing and Kefir as a combination, because clearly they lead to bladder cancer! This was not the intended take away. Finding others to partner with in a health challenge or joining support groups for people in similar situations can be very therapeutic, whether it is a physical disease or mental health challenge.
Being a part of a community can help in a variety of other ways to follow through with wellness goals, providing motivation and camaraderie. Group fitness classes, running clubs, “gym bros” that meet you at a specific time to work out- all these provide motivation to help you reach your fitness goals. That is why we have offered the 10 week movement challenge. It allows people to join as individuals, with movement or exercise goals that are specific to where they are at in their stage of life, and then support and encourage each other to reach those health goals each week. Each week has a bonus challenge that can get the participant extra points. One week the challenge is to increase your water intake and it is fun, posting memes complaining about how often we have to pee. Paying the $25 registration fee is an investment in yourself, and the possibility to win the jackpot at the end will strengthen your commitment to follow through each week.
One area that community is vital but may get neglected is with the effects of aging. We may tend to become more isolated as we get older. There are so many resources available to us and steps we can take to “age well”, but we need to be able to share them with each other! I appreciate the Henry Farm Community Association, where I live, putting on a great workshop called “Options in Aging” last month. Our office will be hosting a practical class on Healthy Aging on April 16, teaching exercises to do at home to maintain optimal health and mobility as we grow older.
Depending on whether you are more introverted or extroverted, you may find some forms of community more beneficial than others. Community may be virtual, as we discovered with the COVID years, or in person, or some combination of the two. I hope you can find ways to use the different types of community around you to benefit you and your health and wellness.