From cheering each other on to sharing workouts from miles apart, virtual fitness communities are changing how we stay motivated – and they could be the answer for busy women who struggle to find time to exercise together
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The workout was never really the thing that kept us coming back. It was the people we did it with.
The gym was never just about the session itself. It was the friend who texted to check you were still coming, the encouragement when you were struggling through the final set and the fist bump when you finally hit the PB you had been chasing for months. In many cases, that sense of connection was just as important as the workout.
Then much of our exercise moved into the living room. Home workouts brought convenience and flexibility, but they could also feel strangely lonely. You might be doing exactly the same class as a friend, yet still be completely in your own bubble – a little like watching a film together without actually sitting in the same room.
And as life gets busier, it is often our schedules rather than our motivation that get in the way.
A school pick-up overruns, a meeting suddenly moves forward by 30 minutes or the class you had booked no longer fits into your day. A 6pm class only works if you are free at 6pm, while training with a friend only works if both your diaries happen to line up.
For busy women, that can make consistency surprisingly difficult.
Finding connection without being in the same place
Virtual fitness communities are changing that by creating shared experiences without requiring people to exercise at exactly the same time or in the same place.
“You train when you can. She trains when she can,” explains Adam King, co-founder of fitness app VEYR. “Then you react to each other’s achievements and share the experience together.”
It could be working towards the same goal, completing three sessions before Sunday, sharing a workout you loved or encouraging a friend towards a PB. You might never actually be in the same room, but there is still a feeling that you are doing it together.
Strava demonstrated just how powerful this simple interaction can be. Someone posts a run, a friend leaves a comment or gives it a thumbs-up, and suddenly that lonely, wet Tuesday evening jog feels as though it counted – because somebody else noticed.
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Why encouragement can matter more than competition
“For a lot of women, especially once life has filled up, winning isn’t really the pull,” says King. “A leaderboard is great if it drives you. Plenty of people come back simply because someone is genuinely pleased you turned up again, not because you posted a big lift.”
That is an important distinction. While celebrating a new PB can provide a huge boost, consistency deserves recognition too. Turning up for a 20-minute workout on a hectic day might not feel particularly impressive, but it is exactly that kind of small commitment that helps build a lasting exercise habit.
Making online fitness feel more personal
The challenge for virtual fitness communities is making that connection feel meaningful rather than simply adding another social feed to our already crowded phones.
According to King, it comes down to having a shared goal, being able to see how friends are getting on and creating an environment where people of different abilities feel comfortable.
“It needs to be encouraging, not judgemental,” he says.
And sometimes the connection can go beyond your existing friendship group. You might join a challenge, start chatting to other participants and find yourself connected to someone you would never otherwise have met.
Exercise doesn’t have to feel like another job
That sense of belonging could be particularly important as our lives become more complicated.
When exercise becomes another appointment in an already packed diary, it can quickly start to feel like a chore. But knowing that someone is waiting to celebrate your achievement, encourage you through a difficult session or simply notice that you showed up can make exercise feel much more rewarding.
“You’re still showing up for yourself,” says King, “you’re just not doing it on your own.”
Of course, no app or online community can completely replace having a friend beside you in the gym or going for a run together. But perhaps the future of fitness isn’t about choosing between online and offline.
Instead, it could be about creating communities that allow the two to work together.
On the days when life takes you in a different direction, your workout doesn’t have to go unnoticed. You can train together or apart, at different times and in different places, while still feeling as though you are part of something bigger.
Try VEYR
VEYR is a fitness app powered by its Fitness Intelligence Engine, which creates personalised workouts based on your goals, available time, equipment and how you feel in the moment.
Users can follow coaches, share workouts with friends, take part in challenges and track their progress together, even when they aren’t training at the same time.
The app is available on iOS and Android, with a 30-day free trial. VEYR FREE includes two workouts per week, while VEYR MAX starts from £9.99 a month.
Find out more at www.veyr.fit or follow @veyr.fit on Instagram.