28 April 2020
 Categories: , Blog

Anyone who has ever participated in a sport, even at the beginner level, knows how much training goes into mastering it. For an athlete at high competition levels, training often includes conditioning, rigorous diet and nutrition programs, mindset exercises, and offseason training, all in addition to the countless hours spent playing the sport itself. Serious athletes dedicate five to six hours every day to their training programs, and as a result, they are left with very little time to socialize with friends, especially if those athletes are still in school. Some might start to feel the monotony of the endless practices, too.

If you're an athlete struggling with loneliness or you're becoming tired of your training routine, you might want to consider joining a social media platform for athletes. Here are just a few reasons why it could benefit you.

Find Friends Who Understand

It's possible that many of the friends you already have, while wanting to be supportive of your dreams, can still make it hard to stay motivated. They might complain that they never get to see you anymore, or perhaps they simply can't understand the struggles that come with the life you've chosen, causing you to feel lonely or isolated. However, joining a social media platform specifically for athletes can help you connect with others in the same situation.

You're sure to find hundreds of other athletes on social media who experience the same problems. They might be able to give you comfort in a way that your other friends can't. Some might even be able to give advice on how to help your other friends know how you need support from them. Perhaps you could meet up with your new online friends in person at big competitions or connect online with those you meet at competitions. Just finding other serious athletes who understand your struggles can ease the loneliness of intense training.

Learn New Training Tips and Techniques

Learning any skill takes a great deal of repetitive practice. The constant repetition of the movements required for your sport can wear on you eventually, no matter how much you love the sport. If your training sessions are starting to feel monotonous, an athletic social network can help.

Connecting with other athletes in your sport of choice can give you access to new training tips or techniques. Directly messaging them can be a great way to ask for and give advice. Maybe some of your new friends have found fun ways to practice a certain skill that bores you, or they have found that starting with a specific warm-up stretch helps them feel better after the practice session. You might see posts from others featuring their post-training smoothie recipe or a link to the newest advice from an experienced professional. With some new ideas from your online community, your long practice sessions will become more fun again.

Stay Motivated Through Accountability

No matter how much you love your sport or how dedicated you are to reaching your goals, you will still likely struggle with feeling motivated sometimes. One of the best ways to help yourself stay focused on your goals is through accountability, and social network platforms are the perfect way to find some group accountability.

Simply seeing fellow athletes posting about their training sessions and competitions can help motivate you to stick to your own training goals. You may also find friendly group challenges to participate in. The endless repetition of practice might feel more exciting when you're competing with your online group of athlete friends. If you need more specific motivation, you can ask others to do nightly or weekly check-ins with you. Knowing that someone is going to ask you about your goals can be extra motivating because you will want to tell them that you succeeded.

These social media platforms for athletes are sure to benefit you in many other ways as well. Depending on the specific platform you choose, different features will be available. Check out a few to find the one that works the best for you.