🤝 Community: The Secret Ingredient Your Fitness Plan Is Missing

Frank Sinclair
2 days ago
4 min read

Most people think they struggle with fitness because they “lack discipline”. In reality, a lot of us are just trying to do something very human in a very lonely way. We’re wired for connection. We’ve always lived, worked, and played in groups. So when we try to overhaul our health completely solo, it’s no surprise motivation quietly disappears.

Community isn’t a “nice extra” in fitness. It’s often the thing that keeps you showing up.

Why Community Helps You Stick With Exercise

There’s plenty of research showing that social support makes us more likely to stick with healthy habits.

People are more likely to maintain exercise when they feel supported by friends, family, or a group.
Group based programmes often show higher adherence and enjoyment than going it alone, especially for adults who are new or returning to exercise.
It’s easier to keep going when you see people “like you” making progress.
When life gets stressful, a friendly face and a bit of banter can be the difference between giving up and giving it “10 minutes and see how I feel”.

Community does three big things for your fitness:

Accountability: people notice if you’re missing and check in.
Belonging: you feel part of something, instead of “the odd one out” trying to get fit.
Energy: on the days you’ve got nothing in the tank, you can borrow motivation from the group.

“But I’m Not a Gym Person…” I hear you say...

Community doesn’t have to mean a huge gym, pounding music and everyone in crop tops.

It can be:

Group Training: Exercising at your local boutique fitness centre, or private studios like mine can be a FANTASTIC way to stay motivated and you start to recognise the same faces each week too.
Walking or running groups: Great if you’re building confidence or starting from a low base. Many areas have beginner-friendly walking groups, couch-to-5k meet ups, or social run clubs.
Interest-based fitness groups: Think “mum & baby” classes, menopause-focused strength groups, “over 40s” clubs, or even niche things like nerdy fitness communities, football vets teams, or hobby-based walking clubs. If there’s something you love, there’s probably a group building movement around it.
Local clubs & community spaces: Sports clubs, leisure centres, community centres, and even churches often run gentle exercise classes, walking groups, or social activities with a movement element.
Online communities: If you live remotely, work odd hours, or just prefer home workouts, online communities can be powerful: private Facebook groups, WhatsApp accountability chats, membership platforms, or online coaching groups where you can ask questions, share wins, and not feel like you’re doing it alone.

You might have to “kiss a few frogs” - try a couple of options, see how they feel, and give yourself permission to move on if it’s not your crowd. The first place you try doesn’t have to be “the one”.

A Simple Exercise to Get Started This Week

If you’re thinking, “This sounds great, but where do I even start?” try this:

Grab a bit of paper and jot down:
- Your current life stage (e.g. new parent, busy job, peri/menopause, over 40 and creaky…).
- A few things you actually enjoy or care about (e.g. being outdoors, football, Pilates, music, feeling less stressed).
Use that as your “community shopping list”.
- New mum? Look for buggy-fit or mum & baby groups.
- Perimenopause? Look for strength or yoga groups specifically aimed at women in that phase.
- Love the outdoors? Walking groups, hiking clubs, park-based bootcamps.
Ask around and test one thing:
- Ask friends, colleagues, or local Facebook groups for recommendations.
- Book one class, session, or online trial and go in with a “let’s just try it” mindset.

You’re not marrying it. You’re just going on a first date 😉

How I Use Community In Everything I Do

I’ve been coaching for a very long time now and, if I look back, there’s been one common thread through everything I’ve ever done: I always build in connection. I want fitness to feel like a place you come to be with people, laugh, share wins, and feel seen.

Online Communities

It started with online groups. Long before it was trendy, I was running group challenges, Facebook groups and messaging circles where people could check in, ask questions, and meet others who were on the same journey. You'd see someone post their first workout, someone else say “Well done mate!” and suddenly that person wasn’t working out in isolation anymore. They had a team behind them.

Group Training

In real life, the community energy is even stronger. My sessions aren’t designed like a military bootcamp or in a room full of mirrors where everyone stares at themselves. I deliberately create space that encourages eye contact, banter, and teamwork. You're never in a corner feeling invisible, you’re part of a team.

Local Events

Then there are the big meet ups I love so much.... Running events, Netwalking, Cooking, Hiking - all things that aren’t just “exercise” but experiences that bring people together. We move, we chat, we explore, we connect. Sometimes the exercise is almost a side-effect of getting outside and meeting other humans.

I’m not pretending I’ve cracked the code.

I don’t get it right every time.

I’ve run plenty of sessions that didn’t land, and tried ideas that flopped (zoom cocktail making being one I remember well lol), I’ve had moments where someone may have felt unseen, and that matters to me.

But I will always keep trying.

Because the goal isn’t to build the most impressive workout programme or the fanciest studio. The goal is to build a community where you feel like you belong, whether that’s:

logging into an online challenge at home,
sweating in a class in Surrey,
or walking a muddy local trail with a group who just “get it.”

Fitness changes lives, but community makes it stick.

And I’ll never stop building opportunities for it.

Final Thought: You are not alone.

If you’ve been trying to do this fitness malarkey all alone and keep “failing”, it’s not a character flaw. It’s a sign you might need people. So get out there and find YOUR people.

Show up imperfectly.

Let the connection do some of the heavy lifting.

Need more encouragement? Listen to this weeks pod:

Good luck!

FRANK

your Personal Trainer / Community Craver