Team sports can help sustain fitness routine

Everybody joins the gym with the best of intentions. They go for their inductions and promise themselves they will exercise three times a week and push further every session.

In reality, many people join a gym and within the first two months have given up - it's either too hard to make time for working out after a hard day in the office, they aren't seeing instant results or, put simply, it is too much like hard work.

One way around this motivational problem could be to engage in team sports.

According to fatfreefitness.co.uk, the UK's only weight loss specific personal training agency, people stand a better chance of maintaining an exercise routine if they are part of a fitness community.

Rich Leigh, weight loss expert and founder of fatfreefitness.co.uk, said: "Team sports aren't everybody's cup of tea, but whether you're interested in making friends, being successful in a sporting sense or just hoping to get fitter, playing sports will do the trick.

"I've always said to my clients that if they can find a reason other than being driven by their appearance to keep exercising, they are likely to be much more successful."

Mr Leigh suggests that by finding a sport an individual finds genuinely enjoyable they will be far more likely to stick at it. This could be a team activity, such as netball, or an individual pursuit such as climbing.

If an individual follows this advice "a flatter stomach and better health are just around the corner", the expert says.

The idea of joining a health-orientated group to help individuals lose weight is not a new one and a researcher at Georgia Tech is taking the idea a step further.

Rather than just suggesting those wanting to lose weight get together to play sports, the researcher is using a mobile phone initiative to help community members avoid fatty foods, such as chocolate.

The EatWell system uses mobile phones to record and share stories between a community of dieters in a bid to encourage people to work together to overcome temptation to fall off the exercise and healthy eating bandwagon.

Mr Leigh thinks whatever guise community support comes in, it is a good idea that is likely to help people maintain an exercise regime.

He says: "Finding a gym partner seems to work wonders, so long as you can find somebody trustworthy who won't let you down.

"The camaraderie of group training and reaching pre-set goals together, along with the ability to form friendships with likeminded individuals seems to keep people coming back."