What Does Sport Mean To You?
What does sport mean to you?
I joined in a meeting yesterday, where we were asked, what
does sport mean to you? Straight away, whenever I am asked this, I will reply I
do it for my mental health then physical. They go hand in hand really. Someone else however, answered with, it means
socialising, connection, bringing people together, being part of a community. My
reaction was, wow, isn’t that amazing, they do sport to socialise. As I have
always labelled myself as an introvert, this just always amazes me. I have always chosen sports that I can do by
myself (which started from fear of judgement), running, the gym, yoga at home.
Whenever I stop to really think about it, I realise how much
I love the connection sport brought me, even those sports you do alone. You may
be running solo but give that nod and smile to a passing runner or you may swap
advice with other runners online. In the
gym, you may say hello to the other members that are there the same time every
day you are, or you may be asked to spot someone for a few sets. I don’t think
we realise how much we benefit from these tiny moments of connection. How these moments make us feel part of a community,
as introverted as you may think you are, we all need our village, our people. Connecting with others over the things we
enjoy brings us moments of happiness. This adds to the endorphins we are
already getting from our sport and no doubt is one of the reasons we stay
consistent. It is only when I stop and think too, that I remind myself, my
mental health needs me to socialise and connect.
I know personally, I have loved all my connections I have
found along the way. I used to go to the gym alone but always end up chatting
to the gym instructors, I then found I would look forward to my workouts and the
chats I would have. When I worked in the
gym, I used to look forward to all the different chats I would have with our
clients, relating to them, encouraging them, supporting them and laughing with
them. I have met so many people since I
got into fitness, and it changed my world.
I started my fitness journey by myself, for myself and never
saw myself as someone who wanted to talk to new people, I was too quiet and awkward,
but the funny thing is, I couldn’t escape the social element sport brought me
and I welcomed it with open arms. Thinking about it, the connections it brought
me, is one of the reasons my mental health improved. I increased my confidence,
my self-esteem, I found my voice and I belonged to a community. I still do. That
is the whole reason I am creating what I am as well because of community.
What does sport mean to you? Do you realise you enjoy the
social element of it, be that online or face to face? Are you looking to start
increasing your movement? Have you thought about what it means to you, and have
you considered the social side? Don’t be afraid, the interactions you have are under
your control and they can be as big or as small as you like. Lets talk in the
comments!
#ThisIsSportVictoria x
#TeamSportsTrust
#IntuitiveMovement
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