Group dynamics have an impact on your health-related decisions, including exercise. If you participate in group fitness classes, are in a running or walking club, or socialize with others that put fitness as a priority, you are part of a group’s influence. There are positive and negative aspects of group dynamics. Understanding the basics of group dynamics is important to accentuate the positive and minimize the negative.

Group Norms: As you probably have guessed the norms of any group is the common behavior. With fitness, you are around people with common attitudes toward exercise. This can be a great motivator to know that others have goals like you and are faced with similar challenges as you. Working together within that group to break through those challenges is the most obvious positive of group dynamics. Offering suggestions and getting others’ perspectives is valuable to the group and to each individual in the group.

Groupthink: Groupthink is similar to norms but can have a negative effect on individuals within the group. One way to think of this is when norms go a little too far. In an exercise setting, everyone is there to improve health overall although specific individuals’ goals may differ. If groupthink takes over, the group may decide that one specific type of training or exercise mode is the best. Meanwhile, an individual (or two) within the group isn’t so sure that the decided training method is best for them and their specific goals. As a member of the group, it is important to speak up and offer your input. If you allow groupthink to take over, decisions can be made that may not be the best for you, individually. Not only does this benefit you, but it may benefit another individual in the group that has similar concerns. A simple example would be allowing groupthink to suggest that the best (and only) way to improve leg strength is a free weight squat. Although a great exercise, some in the group may have low back injuries to consider and finding other methods would be best for them.

Support Group Dynamic: Group dynamics are especially beneficial when part of a support group that is honed in on a specific norm or goal. Although the norm is the same, there can be different ways of practicing it. With exercise a group may meet with the general goal of maintaining a routine for better health. There are different ways to achieve that goal and there are challenges. Some challenges are common to the group and others may be specific to an individual. In a support setting, small to moderate group size is best to get results. A group of at least 6 and no more than 12 is generally considered optimal. This allows each individual to feel recognized as an individual and still provides several perspectives.

If you are seeking more ways to keep your exercise routine going, try a group setting. This can be in the form of group fitness classes or a support group. There is power in numbers when the group’s goal is the same.