Do you sometimes find it hard to fit in because you're fit?
 

This is kind of a strange question, but do you ever feel as if you don't have that much in common with a lot of people because you're fit? It seems like everyone I know is always talking about how out of shape they are, how they want to lose weight, how they tried some kind of exercise and then they got injured, and so on. Please don't get me wrong - I'm not criticizing people who don't exercise a lot or who are struggling with injuries and/or weight issues, and I'm far from perfect myself. But, sometimes it would be nice to hear about fitness instead of just fitness frustrations. Other than this forum, do you all find other people with similar fitness levels and interests? If so, where are they?!

I have been considering joining the one gym in this area to meet people who are physically fit or are really interested in fitness. I do feel odd or left out when conversations as you describe come up.

You may do well joining a gym with classes that you enjoy, I met a lot of people in a challenge the gym was holding, it was fun to talk so much about workouts and styles and trainers, etc. Regardless of your fitness level, it is fun and motivating to find like minded friends.

I don't know anyone with similar fitness interests - never have. No one I know eats clean and healthy either - including my hubby.

I don't feel like I don't fit in, though, and I'm not looking for people with similar interests.

I know what you mean.
 

I'm in my mid-50s and most of the people I know (particularly those in my age-group--that is, give or take 10 years) are over-weight, if not obese, and very few of them are interested in healthy eating or fitness. While I wouldn't say I'm a superfit person, I am trying to be healthy and I think it would really help me if I had a few family members or friends who shared that interest. Oh, there is the occasional person who drops a bunch of weight on the latest diet trend. That rarely turns out well in the long run, though. What I'm shooting for, and what I'd like to find in others, is a healthy lifestyle approach (regular exercise/moderate diet) that will last me a life time. Most of the time, however, I feel as though I'm on my own. :(

Donna

I have one friend who is fitness minded, even though she is still overweight due to the fact that she's constantly flying to Florida to help her daughter out and has no time for herself anymore. We met when we were both taking karate and even after we stopped that, we continued to at least walk a few miles on a regular basis. She's getting ready to move to Florida and once she goes, I will not have any local friends who have any interest in fitness. I'm thinking of joining a softball team this spring and will hopefully meet some new people.

Most of my friends are runners and very fitness-minded. Travel regularly to big races and events. Since fitness is a big hobby of mine, I guess I gravitate to friends who have similar hobbies. I'm lucky to live in a very active town.

My family are all interested in being fit and healthy. My sons have always been this way. Many of my friends go to the gym but are not so interested in videos except for TA. Everyone was very impressed that I worked out with TA videos. That caught their interest. Funny.

Totally with you on this, OP! Fitness is one of my true loves and I have met so few people who connect with me on it; even fewer connect with me on the reasons for working out (being fit and strong, being ready to conquer the world, not just the aesthetics). I have had only a couple people in my adult life who have shared my interests. I find I tend to connect with men on fitness more than women, because unfortunately, so many women are hyperfocused on getting thin/looking good and don't appreciate the satisfaction I get out of being sweaty and working hard just for its own sake. This is one of the reasons I love VF. This is also one of the reasons I love Barre3- it's definitely female focused, but so much more focused on health, longevity, and functional strength than a lifted booty. I should try to make some friends at the local studio... I need like minded friends :(

Even though we're engineers, it seems like half my workplace is fit people in their 50s. So I'm really lucky that way! We don't all do the same activities, and I don't do any of the most popular workouts (cycling is the big one), but we can definitely have conversations - even about videos, thanks to P90X! ;)