So let's say...

You've become a member at the community fitness centre and you're signed up for weight training and boxercise classes. It's a pretty cool facility so you're excited to get going.

Over the course of a few weeks you discover that sometimes it gets really crowded and at times it's hard to get on the equipment you want. It seems like people hog the machines. While you're in boxercise class, the instructor keeps shouting out directions, moves, and even encouragement to the class but it's getting on your nerves. You just want to do your exercise in peace. And sometimes you can hardly find enough space to participate. This is getting annoying. Even if you are not able to go to a fitness center perhaps some of these frustrations happen wherever you get to participate?

Oh yeh, another thing is you thought that after lifting weights for a month or so you'd be all pumped up, but the only thing pumped up is your frustration. What's up with that? Occasionally it might be nice to have a buddy to stay motivated.

Who'd have thought that doing individual activities would involve so many other people?

The Buddy System

When you're doing individual activities you still need to learn to know how to work with others for support, even competition, and when sharing facilities. You're learning to be a "buddy," a good sport.

Cooperation is part of the buddy system big picture. In a race you need to know how to be a good sport whether you win or lose. When sharing equipment and facilities you need to know how to communicate. Leadership and fair play are important when dealing with instructors, athletes, friends, and family. And of course when you're a success you want to be able to celebrate with others!

So what's it all about? In a nutshell cooperation is:

• Communication
• Fair Play
• Leadership
• Teamwork
  

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activities | health benefits | cooperation | do it daily for life