We’ve covered all kinds of social networks in the past with previous editions of social media vocabulary, so when I realized a couple of my favorite alternative networks were missing, I knew it was time to get them their time in the sun. This week’s theme is fitness and health. As you will see, there are some great networks out there for helping you reach your fitness and health goals by utilizing the network for support, motivation, tacking, and rewards.
You might not think of spending time in a social network as beneficial to your physical health, but check out these networks and see why a fitness network is genius!
- DailyBurn: This is my personal favorite, Dailyburn has quite a few apps for mobile devices and offers simple ways to track nutrition, exercise, and a host of body metrics. The community is strong and there are plenty of diverse groups and challenges to join to help find motivation.
- Bodyspace: This network is aimed a bit more toward body builders as it is run by Bodybuilding.com, but the network is very strong and generally well educated in terms or weight lifting and weight training. They pick winners every month to be featured for making improvements to their personal fitness or meeting their goals.
- Traineo: Traineo is heavily focused on weight loss. They have developed software to help calculate your exact calorie needs to make your goal weight. The network part of Traineo is plugged into your dashboard to help keep you motivated.
- Runner+: Runner+ is focused on runners, specifically runners that use the Nike+ iPod system. The site offers forums and tools to runner’s where they can get tips, share routes, and talk about anything from shoes to short shorts.
- Weight Watchers: A classic in the real-world, Weight Watchers has created an online offering to help members track nutrition, get recipes, talk to other people, and stay closely committed to the program. You have the option of joining just the online network or opting to attend the physical meetings as well.
Well, there you have it, social networks that all want to help make you a healthier person. Try one of these out or do a search for a network in a specific fitness area that you like, maybe biking or swimming, they’re out there! The power of social media is a great motivator and can make getting to your fitness goals way more fun.