The Relationship “Why” for Physical Activity

We all have basic needs such as food, water and shelter that must be satisfied in order to survive and progress to higher level growth needs like relationships. Psychologist Abraham Maslow famously framed this concept in his five stage model titled Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If you find yourself reading this, suffice to say that basic needs such as food, water and shelter have been met, and you are motivated in life to satisfy deeper more meaningful physiological needs such as belongingness and love. While I am no psychologist, nor do I pretend to be one, I find this concept extremely pertinent to the interrelated dynamic between relationships and physical activity. This month at WELCOA, our On the Move Initiative is focusing on relationships—how moving more can improve our relationships as well as how healthy relationships can drive better health habits. If you find yourself dreading physical activity such as walking, going on a run or hitting the gym, perhaps the reason you dread the act is not the endorphin releasing activity itself but more because your routine lacks the emotional belongingness from intermingling physical activity with relationships.

If you find yourself reading this, suffice to say that basic needs such as food, water and shelter have been met, and you are motivated in life to satisfy deeper more meaningful physiological needs such as belongingness and love.

I regularly attend the same gym at least five times a week. I have had an affinity for weightlifting since I was ten years old likely inspired by continuously replaying and reenacting training montages of Rocky over and over again until the VHS cassette wore out. But even more inspiring than watching Rocky down glasses of raw eggs at the crack of dawn, preparing to single-handedly take down Communist Russia during the height of the Cold War are the relationships forged and baptized in the “holy water” of gym sweat. I have been a member of my current gym for a little over a year, and during that time I have met and sweated my way to a countless number of relationships that have helped satiate the need for belongingness and transform the activity of physical exertion into a far greater purpose than just cardiovascular fitness and six pack abs.

The most satisfying of these relationships have been with my weightlifting compadre Alex. Fortune would have it that Alex and I had more in common than just the desire for intensely maddening, sweat-inducing gym sessions. We both attended the same college, studied the same discipline and arrived in Omaha courtesy of the same employer. Working out with Alex is exhilarating because we are both competitive by nature and want to challenge and push one-another beyond our limits. I look forward to days when I train with Alex because our competitive relationship provides an alluring element, a little extra juice that is absent when I train alone. We both physically and emotionally gain from this relationship that converts the potentially painful chore of exercising into something much more energizing.

Mixing relationships with physical activity not only helps keep you accountable to your physical activity needs, it also helps expand your network creating new opportunities or business connections.

Mixing relationships with physical activity not only helps keep you accountable to your physical activity needs, it also helps expand your network creating new opportunities or business connections. I recently met Casey, a young and motivated man in the banking industry always looking for an opportunity to gain a new client and help provide potential clients with better financial service. Casey and I have already begun exploring opportunities within his network for  bringing financial services into our line of business. While I am not advocating that if you are in need of professional services that your first stop should be your local gym, physical activity creates great opportunities to expand your network and develop meaningful and beneficial relationships, all of which help to provide a greater sense of belonging and a life more fulfilled.

Some of life’s greatest value is derived from socially interacting with others and forming life-fulfilling relationships. For most people, life is best shared in the company of others. Physical activity is no different. Relationships, when forged in the crucible of sweat, work to bind these activities together and enrich the act of physical activity by appeasing the physiological need for belonging. So the next time you go for a run or hit the gym, grab a friend and make it a more fulfilling experience than exercising alone.

John Whalen, Financial Controller

Try On the Move’s Move of the Week:

One of the best ways to strengthen your relationships is to practice self-care. Being strong for ourselves helps us be strong for those we care about. This simple move from Coach Sean Foy is one of the most effective exercises to strengthen and tone the back of your arms, chest and shoulders. The best part of this move is you can perform it at school or at work—in your office, manufacturing area, break-room—or even at home. All you’ll need is a sturdy chair or bench and you are on your way!

Move of the Week: Chair/Desk Dips

• Sit upright on the end of the chair or bench with your knees bent at 90 degrees and feet hip-width apart and feet placed securely on the floor
• Grasp the end of the chair with palms down and knuckles facing outward. Note: Your hands should be near your thighs, closer than shoulder width apart
• Transfer your body weight off the chair by walking your feet out slowly (extending your legs-placing weight on your heels and also) supporting your weight with your arms extended, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows
• Slowly and under control, bend your elbows and allow your body to move down towards the floor—go as far as you comfortably can—elbows to be no more than a 90-degree angle
• Straighten your arms, pressing from the heel of both hands, raise your body back to step 1 and repeat 8-15 times or as many as you can safely complete
• NOTE: If you have shoulder, arm, wrist or back problems we recommend that you not perform this move.