Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe
Fit with Finesse’s mission is rooted in community. Finding your fit tribe is essential to both short and long-term success because it provides a support network and positive reinforcements. Plus, working out with your friends is A LOT more fun! We started Fit with Finesse as a wellness community for people to find resources, be inspired, and connect with each other. So, here are a few tips on how to do just that.
Benefits of Fit Tribes
Motivation & Accountability. Most times the hardest part about working out is showing up. Finding motivation to stay on your fit plan can be tough when going at it alone. There is so much power in the “see you tonight at boxing” text from a friend. Not only do you not what to leave your girl (or guy) hanging, but you usually walk out of class feeling better than you did when you walked through that door.
Knowledge & Power. There is nothing more frustrating than not knowing where to start. Have you ever picked up chia seeds at the store or that random vegetable (hey fennel), and had no idea what to do with it? Or, have you been killing yourself in the gym for week, but can’t seem to drop those inches? Fit Tribes are usually comprised of people who have totally been there and can offer support or advice. Sharing is caring, and sometimes it’s nice to know you’re not alone
Inspiration & Fun. Everybody has a story. When you join a fit tribe, you will inevitably find yourself inspired by your teammates. There is also something very comforting about sweating together, and there are sure to be a lot of laughs within the crew. Whether it’s the clown who comes with all the jokes, the cheerleader who always says the just right thing to keep you motivated, or that person with all the energy who just doesn’t stop, or the competitive one who won’t be shown up, there’s always a few “types” in every group that keeps the morale up for everyone.
So Where Ya At? Tips to Finding Your Tribe
Determine Your Goals and Identify What You Like
Do you want to run your first 5K, focus on a general healthy lifestyle, build muscle? Or, maybe you want to meet new people with similar interest. Having a clear understand of your goals will jump start your quest. Think about things you love to do, or always wanted to try. Be open-minded. Want to learn how to surf? There is a group for that. Take advantage of free classes or introductory specials at local studios to test the workout waters. What to go vegan? Find a weekly cooking class.
Research social media and ask around
When looking to join a community, check out a group’s online presence. Not only can you see the type of people who participate, but it can also give you a sense of their values and the way they interact with each other. If you have already have a friend that’s part of a group, that’s a great in to trying them out to see if it’s a good fit for you. Also look for other qualities, that will help you feel comfortable i.e. are you a part of the new mom club, Spartan diva, or a teacher? There is something for everyone, whether online or in person.
Digital Communities Matters.
Rich Bailey and Chris Ketant are the founders of GrpFit, a fitness platform for the black community. The mission of GrpFit is to provide a safe and encouraging platform for people of all fitness levels to learn, share, motivate, and inspire each other to become healthier without the misconceptions and gimmicks. With over 1300 active daily users, let’s just say they are making waves in the fitness community. The app has some awesome features including workouts, meal ideas, and motivation for all its users.
Rich and Chris met in college at MIT. With engineering backgrounds and a desire to help mitigate Black Americans statistics around obesity and chronic illnesses, the duo created an app, to build a health community online. “There wasn’t a black fitness app, outside of a Facebook Group or regional meet-up that spoke to the social aspect around fitness” said Rich. Rich highlights that one of the prominent features and goals of Grpfit is to provide a community feeling. “Our goal is to provide a safe and encouraging community that lacks the trolling, selling of ads, and body shaming; for the average person…it can be toxic and lead people to give up.” That’s why the community tie is so important.
Community is not just with its users, but also with other fitness professionals. Grpfit collaborates with other trainers to provide workouts, blog posts, and so much more. Although a new company, they’ve already received a lot of great feedback and we can’t wait to see what they do next!
Download GrpFit here
Pretty Girls Sweat. Pretty Girls Sweat is an online “sweat sisterhood” for college-age women. Although we are beyond the age of their target audience (just slightly…yeah, slightly), they are also one of our favorite groups to follow due to their empowering Instagram feed. In fact, it’s their page that has sparked us to follow some women who we now consider some of our fitness faves and inspirations. From nutrition tips to workout videos, they are the perfect example of what a fitness community should strive to be. The Pretty Girl Sweat community has grown so over the past five to six years that they also host a “sweat fest” every year where women can join workouts with celebrity trainers like Jeanette Jenkins and Lita Lewis.
Fit with Finesse ‘Fit Tribe’ Recommendations
Jade. Just chilling atop Potato Chip Mountain, like the #bawse that she is.
Los Angeles. Our friend Jade, is not only #fitgirlmagic, but also very much a part of our Fit with Finesse tribe! She works in government relations, is a graduate student, and on the path to completing her first Spartan Trifecta! You would be hard-pressed to find a group that Jade hasn’t tried, so when we were looking for recommendations in LA for our readers, she was our go-to girl!
Jade’s Top Three Recommendations to Get You Started
Movement Runners - a huge family of all levels of runners committed to getting better and pushing each other.
BlackList LA - a running group that pays homage to another side of Los Angeles and highlights the beautiful street art.
Malynda's Army Bootcamp - Malynda pushes you to your best and it's easier when you have group doing it together. Fun Fact: If you live in the LA Area Shawnie is an assistant coach with Malynda’s Army! You can find her every Saturday, helping the team get Fit with Finesse! For more information email us at info@fitwithfinesse.com
P.S. - LA Peeps, you can join Jade as an upcoming event with LA’s Health is Wealth tribe. Check it out here. Health Is Wealth Lifestyle encourages it's fitness community to pursue life's riches through healthy lifestyle choices. Come join a fitness community that is passionate, determined, and supportive. They offer group training, personal training, and athletic apparel! Learn more about them here
Memphis. Since CaCera moved, we’ve been spotlighting more and more of the Memphis fitness community. Memphis is a runners town. There is a 5K, 10K, half-marathon every other weekend it seems. There are quite a few local groups that can help you hit your stride.
CaCera’s Recommendations to Get You Started
Black Girls Run! - BGR is on a mission to make fitness and healthy living a priority in the African-American community. They also have a few active groups around Memphis. There are no excuses when it comes to this group, because they members who run in East Memphis, Germantown, Bartlett, Midtown, and Ridgeway every week.
Breakaway Running - Breakaway is a running store with two locations in Memphis, but they are also a motivating community of runners. The store serves as a meeting location for weekly runs to help you train for whatever race you have in mind. Most recently, they’ve helped prepare runners in the area for the Chicago Marathon and host runs for those ramping up for the St. Jude race series in December.
HardQore Fitness - So maybe running isn’t your goal, but weight loss or muscle growth is what your heart is set on. Check out the HardQore Fitness bootcamp in Cordova. Classes are held all week, but the Saturday morning bootcamp is a personal favorite of CaCera. Each week is different and is guaranteed to push you out of your comfort zone.
Post class glow with my Memphis tribe at Lululemon Saddle Creek
These are just the tip of the iceberg for Memphis. Follow @AthletaSdlCreek or @lululemonMemphis for their in-store events that are often free. Also, with new studios like Shed Fitness and Shred415 opening, there is something for everyone.
#FinesseTip: Honest moment, not all fit tribes are going to be a good fit, and that’s ok! Sometimes you might not vibe with a group and it’s not the end of the world. Keep looking and searching, eventually you will find your niche and it will feel oh so good!