Making friends as a child is a lot easier than making friends once you are an adult. If you’ve moved to a new city, or simply are in need of a new tribe of brunch ladies you may need to be creative to make new friends as an adult.
Fitness is a common denominator perfect for building new friendships! Finding a group of people who enjoy the same types of things you do is the best way to build lasting friendships. This list of ways to get fit and make friends includes great ways to get involved with new people over healthy activities.
Attend a Group Exercise Class
Pick a class that fits in your schedule and attend it regularly. No matter the theme (Zumba, Yoga, Crossfit, Barre) you’ll begin to get to know the other regulars in the class. Make a point to chat with others while you are waiting for the class to start and introduce yourself to other newbies. Regular attendees can help you get the hang of the ropes and show you how the class typically goes. Hang out and talk while refilling water bottles after class or final stretching.
Benefits of Group Exercise:
- Regular scheduling: Planning for the same class every few days helps create consistency and healthy habits.
- Learn proper form: A group led exercise class means that an instructor will be there to make sure you are getting the most out of your workout without getting hurt or injured.
Find a Running Group
Pick a 5k or ½ marathon in your area to train for and reach out to a local running store for help. They will be able to recommend groups that can help you train while preparing for your goal. Some groups start and end at the same location while others may have a theme like running to a restaurant or bar. The more social the group, the better chance you’ll be able to make friends at the same time.
Benefits of Running:
- Good Cardio: Running increases your heart rate and improves your cardiovascular health. Improved cardio means that your body works more efficiently and improves health as a whole.
- Mood Improvement: Known as a ‘Runner’s High’, running lowers stress by releasing endorphins that lower stress, and provide a positive mood boost.
Join a Bowling Team
Bowling is one of the longest standing sports, dating back over 4,000 years. While today’s bowling may not be the most physical activity on the list, it is a healthy activity that allows for a couple hours of chatting with new friends. Bowling is more of a social activity than a physical exercise but you can learn hand eye coordination and technique over the course of a bowling league.
Benefits of Bowling:
- Muscle Toning: The extra weight of a bowling ball is a perfect toning exercise. Swinging the ball stretches and flexes the tendons, ligaments and muscles in your arm.
- Calorie Burning: Bowling only counts as calorie burning if you don’t drink a beer per game, however the amount of walking throughout the game does count as exercise. The average bowler walks 3/5ths of a mile during a three game series.
Again, this only works if you don’t drink a pitcher of beer at the same time, but what is the fun in that!
Sign up for a Sports League
Look up your local rec center and find a sport you want to play. From softball to dodgeball most communities have league nights where teams that are short on players can fill out their team with newbies. Joining an existing team will help you meet a group of people who already hang out regularly. If you are worried about being the odd one out, find one friend to join with you so you won’t be alone!
Benefits of a Sports League:
- Large Group: When you are part of a team of 10 – 15 players it would be hard to not find at least one person you want to be friends with outside of the game.
- Learn a new skill: You don’t have to choose a sport that you know, and picking something new means you can only improve the more you play.
The best part about making friends while getting fit is that if you don’t find any new friends at least you still got in a good workout!
Check out these resources to find healthy groups for you to get involved with in your area.
Looking for more ways to make friends as an adult? Check out this list of ten tips for making friends.
Photo credits: Rose Physical Therapy, AIGA/NY, KCBalletMedia, Pexels, 21st Century Community Learning Centers
