Habits and positive behaviour last when you’ve got someone to share the experience with. Whether it’s through learning together, sharing enthusiasm, or for safety concerns, knowing someone has your back removes certain barriers to exercise.
With that in mind, Myzone has teamed up with Your Training Partner, a Facebook community that connects individuals so they can train more safely and make more friends with every MEP.
We speak to founder, Adrian Hopkinson, to better understand the benefits of bringing people together.
How did Your Training Partner come about?
“Your Training Partner started to help connect local people who were struggling to find someone to train with for a number of different reasons, such as fears of training alone, anxieties and a lack of confidence,” explains Adrian.
“We already have so much variety in the group,” he continues. “There are some keen runners, cyclists; we have yoga instructors and people that take part and instruct body pump classes, too. We try to cater for all ages, ability levels and genders. We are a strong community and are always open to new ideas and suggestions.”
Connecting people with the same goals
“Recently we have facilitated group meetings at Park Run events in various locations, and met up for dog walks or group Spin classes. Soon we’re looking to meet together and trek up one of the biggest peaks in Yorkshire.
“Training together and having fun along the way is important, even for someone like myself who trains a lot. I still look forward to training with others.
“Connecting people of a similar ability to each other, and who share the same common goals, is key. Knowing that it’s normal to have days where you aren’t feeling 100% is part and parcel of training, so having someone to motivate you is sometimes an essential.”
Opportunity to educate a community
“As our community grew, we needed a platform so members can share their goals and workouts. Myzone offers us this function and I can see all the users connecting and supporting each other day to day.
“We see the partnership with Myzone as a great opportunity to educate our community around heart rate training and how to use the zones to help anyone progress in their training.”
With community growth comes ambition
“Strength in numbers! For example, no woman should ever feel unsafe training alone or in the dark, but we understand that it’s a real fear for many.
“We want to help connect people nationally. We started off locally and it’s clear that this platform can work in all different areas.
“Our association with Myzone helps us achieve that goal. This community tends to attract people starting off on their fitness journey, and we see Myzone as the experts when it comes to educating people around heart rate zone training.
“This is only the beginning and we are so excited for the future. As our community grows, so do our ambitions.”
What do the YTP community think?
“Being a part of YTP gives me motivation to not only improve my own fitness but also encourage others to do the same,” explains community member, Mat Driver.
“Fitness in general along with meeting new people can be daunting for most, but the group allows members to start conversations with one another before meeting face-to-face.
“It gives members topics of conversation and enables you to meet people with similar goals and find new areas of fitness which you may not have thought of.
“What I particularly love about the group is that it is inclusive of all no matter your fitness level.
“Having attended a few of the group get-togethers, I always come away with a feeling of achievement.
“It lifts your mood, tests your abilities and more importantly enables you to meet some genuinely great people.”
For more information visit Your Training Partner on Facebook.
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