Intermountain Health logo

Please enter the city or town where you'd like to find care.

Get care nowSign in

Health news and blog

    Secret of Success: Building a great support system

    Secret of Success: Building a great support system

    Find_Support_for_exercise_goals

    Group Exercise
    Studies have shown that building a social network into your exercise program actually increases attendance. Whether that means attending the 9 am spin class each Monday or having a workout-buddy to walk with daily – partner up and you’re less likely to cancel. 

    Family
    Support at home can make a huge difference in your success. This may include cooking healthy meals together at home, walking with a spouse after dinner or playing outdoors with your children more often.

    Co-workers
    Include those you work with in your goal setting and allow them to keep you accountable. This will certainly be the case with our firefighters competing in the My Heart Challenge – 48 hours together allows for unlimited support from co-workers. 

    Let others know about your goals
    Social media can be a great way to track, update and include others in your goals and progress. Public exposure increases the likelihood that you’ll stick to the lifestyle change you need. 

    Tracking
    This can be a very effective method of motivation if used consistently. Track those variables that are most important to you. Individual factors can add up quickly, so don’t let yourself become overwhelmed. Tracking can happen in a notebook, on an app or even an old-school method: a calendar. The difference happens when you can see the progress you’ve made and it can serve as a motivator to continue in your progress.