Excellent Motivation Idea. A MUST read!

So I came up with this idea, I don't know if someone has done this before or not. Hopefully people will actually like it and participate, totally up to all of you.

All of us here are in this website for the same reason, just different goals, which is reaching a fitness level. When I used to be part of the BeachBody team, there were gatherings of people to workout together in different cities no matter your level of fitness. Everybody would have fun, workout, motivate each other and socialize.

So, why not to take advantage of the Groups option, designate one for specific cities and once a month or so, plan a gathering in a park, or somewhere out doors, to go meet, bring friends, your significant other or family members who want to participate, and enjoy a day doing physical activities?

For this to work there first thing is to be organize. Here are some points I'm thinking that should be taken into consideration:

- Avoid making 10 groups of the same city. Someone can reply to this thread volunteering to open the Group. This means whoever wants to participate or open a group should browse thru all the comments to avoid duplicated groups.

- To differentiate our groups from the others that are not related to this idea, they should be named with the name of the city and let's say Gathering i.e. Miami Gathering, Boston Gathering, British Columbia Gathering, etc.

- Trying to use main cities would be a good idea. It wouldn't make sense to make two groups for cities that are 20 minutes apart if we want to make the groups big enough.

- Activities could vary from group to group depending on the city, location, weather conditions, etc. Summer time can be fun but activities will be different from winter time, and so on. Bicycle, rollerblading, running, walking, hiking, workout, games. Any of those can be done and enjoy a wonderful day in company of those who have a common interest.

- Workouts. VERY Important. If your group decides to put together a set of exercises to do as a group, always make sure you're capable of doing what you can and avoid what you can't. This includes medical conditions that might limit yourself to perform certain activities, physical limitations, etc. Just because you can't keep up with others it doesn't mean you are not doing enough. We all are at different levels, but we WILL support each other and not let anyone down. At the end, the whole idea is to have fun and get motivation.

- In regards to the previous point, you and only you are responsible for what you decide to participate on. You can't blame anyone if you fall, hurt yourself, etc. Remember, it is your own decision and you must always be smart about what you do.

- Unless someone is certified, licensed or physical proof that the person has legit knowledge of personal training, nutrition, etc, DO NOT try to push or tell anyone what to do or not to do against their own will or decisions. We all are adults, and we should all be able to help, give opinions, suggestions with respect. We can't feel or experience what others are going thru, so don't try to make out of this experience a boot camp or an unpleasant experience.

- Always remember that the main idea is to engage in physical activities. Therefore, going to a gathering to sit around, talk and distract others is not what we are looking for with this project.

- Bring water, healthy snacks, comfortable clothes, etc. In other words, be prepared. If your group is planning on going hiking to a place where you know there will be bugs, bring mosquito repellent or any other product you might want to use. If you're going to a place where you know you might get sunburn, bring your own sunblock. It is always a good idea to plan ahead of time, which is the great thing about groups, because since the location will be posted ahead of time, people can remind each other about what would be good to bring with you.

- Also, planning ahead of time is always the best. If the idea is to go for a bike ride, your group needs to be aware of it for different reasons. There might be users who don't have a bicycle or can't ride one. There are others who can't walk for long distances, etc. So be aware of this, and try to avoid sub-groups all the time. Just because one day a part of the group decides to go hiking and another part goes to workout at a park, it doesn't mean that the next gathering it shouldn't be something where the whole group gets together. Creating sub-groups frequently will defeat the idea of becoming one big group.

- Invite friends. Make the experience as pleasant and big as possible. Some people are afraid of starting changing their lives because they think they'll be along without support. Groups like this will change that mindset because everybody is focus in the same thing.

- ALWAYS be conscious about the places you go and don't litter. The whole idea is to keep this going and get banned from places because of littering, damaging nature or public property. So, always pick up after yourself. If you see someone doing something wrong, call it to their attention. There shouldn't be one person in charge of this, everybody is responsible.

- Share your experiences in the Group and Forums. There will be some users who might be intimidated with the idea of meeting with strangers and how will the experience be. Sharing photos, experiences, etc will open the door to them and make them feel welcomed.

- Please, be serious and don't play games. Being late, canceling or not showing up is something that will destroy any groups right away. It would be awful to see 20 people will get together, showing up at the location and only 2 people making it. It is important that unless there is an emergency not to cancel. Everyone is counting on everyone to be there and support each other. That's why the planning ahead of time so you know that day will be dedicated to that activity.

- Any issues should be discussed as a group to avoid any personal confrontation or being taken the wrong way. Be civil, be respectful, be mature and behave like adults.


So I think this is it for now. I if anyone wants to be part of it, or add anymore points to this, please, feel free to post your comments.