GET ACTIVE, GET SOCIAL

Most things in life are better with a friend, including fitness activities. Here's how combining exercise with socialising can have multiple benefits

- Silke Colquhoun

You don’t have to be a top athlete to enjoy being active. Any kind of movement is better than lounging around, and there are many group activities to help you have fun while getting fitter. In South Africa, one in two adults are not physically active enough, according to Discovery Vitality. This is twice the global average, where one in four adults don’t move enough, with women generally less active than men. Why is it problem? Inactivity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.

New social connections

Exercising in a group setting is generally easier than sweating it out by yourself because sharing the experience with friends or like-minded strangers is likely to improve your ‘social health’. That’s the health boost you get from having strong social connections with others, making you feel happier, more confident and secure, and less anxious and depressed.