Community

Everyone says that one of the best parts of joining a good gym is the community. Read enough reviews of enough gyms and you’ll come to see that it is, in fact, the most repeated cliche.
Is there any truth behind it? How does gym create community and what are the benefits of being part of a community?
The truth of community building is obvious. As a coach, I hear the students having conversations about their lives outside of class. I see them becoming friends, hear about them hanging out and going to coffee, plays, musicals, and drinks. It’s real.
How does it happen? Shared hard work creates bonds. Exercise releases endorphins. If you put people together in a group and make them do challenging things, they tend to grow fond of each other.
The benefits of community are well documented in research and quite visible anecdotally. Individuals gain a sense of belonging. When things get tough, people have a network of friends to share their difficulties and help solve their problems.
So yeah, join the gym to get more awesome at martial arts and movement, but also join the gym because having a community also makes you more awesome.