The act of lacing up her sneakers and heading out for a run has been a lifelong through line for Sarah Murphy. It’s a thread unspooling from her very first race at the age of 5, a one-mile fun run with her dad; through high school and college in cross-country and track; and following her pregnancies, in 2009 and 2011, when she would buckle her son and daughter into a jogging stroller so they could join her as she traversed their neighborhood in St. Paul, Minn.
“Even as my kids got older, I would just fit in running when I could,” says Murphy, 44. “I guess it was important to me to continue being fit and take care of myself. But it wasn’t the priority: Running and racing got put on the back burner.”
That changed last year, when Murphy decided it was time to reprioritize her hobby. Her kids were older; at 13 and 15, they were more self-sufficient and had taken up running themselves.
“Seeing my daughter compete and have a blast with her team made me miss that experience,” Murphy says. “I thought maybe I could recapture a bit of that feeling of camaraderie and support — and fun — that I remembered from my high school and college teams.”
And so, in January 2024, Murphy joined the Mill City Running race team, an inclusive group of runners of varied ages and abilities who train and race together all year long.
“For the past 20 years, I primarily ran on my own,” she says. “Joining the team has empowered me to prioritize my running. It’s motivated me to train harder and to get out and race again. The team also helped me enjoy racing in a way I was never able to as a younger, nervous athlete.”
As a member of Mill City’s master’s team — for runners over 40 — Murphy placed in the top 10 in her age group in all but one event she ran in 2024, a highly competitive 10-mile road race. But even that was no disappointment: She finished 11th in her age group with a new personal best. “I could never have run that time without the great training and encouragement from the team over the last year.”
For many people, fitness is a solitary pursuit. But just because an activity lends itself to solitude doesn’t mean it can’t also foster community. Clubs, teams, and classes dedicated to solo sports like running, cycling, lifting, skiing, hiking, rucking, and others can enhance the rewards of these sports exponentially.
“When we’re solo athletes but we’re in a group, we have the best of both worlds,” says Olympic sports psychologist JoAnn Dahlkoetter, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and performance coach in San Carlos, Calif.
Consider these five reasons for making your next training session a group event.
1) Motivational Push
Motivation is fickle. When it runs high, you feel like you can accomplish anything. When it fizzles out, it can be difficult to work steadily toward your goals. Joining another person 
or group can bridge the motivation gap and push you to show up for your workout, whether you’re starting a new sport or trying to maintain consistency with your current one.
“There’s an accountability piece that comes with working out with others,” says Lisa Hobson Stoner, CPT, a Life Time master trainer and group fitness instructor based in Minnesota. “When you know you’re meeting other people to work out, or they expect to see you in class, that gives you motivation to get out of bed on days when you want to hit snooze.”
Adds Dahlkoetter: “You don’t want to let your friends down.”
The motivational push you get from being part of a team can help you develop a more steadfast commitment to your training. And in time, you’ll be able to nurture a habit that doesn’t rely on motivation to boost your energy or get you in the mood to train. (For expert tips on mindful motivation, visit “A Mindful View of Motivation.”)
2) Improved Performance
Working out in a group can improve your performance in many ways. For starters, other people might push you to work harder than you would on your own. Running with someone who’s faster than you, for example, can inspire you to pick up your pace. “We all have a little competitiveness in us, and we don’t want to get left behind,” says Frankie Ruiz, Life Time’s chief running officer.
“Sometimes, being in a group of mixed abilities can show us that we’re more capable than we think we are when we’re out alone,” adds Hobson Stoner.
If you’re new to your sport, joining a group can shorten your learning curve. You can get gear recommendations, workout tips, and clarity on the rules of your sport while focusing more closely on improving your performance.
Group members can also offer encouragement to help you get through tough workouts, competitions, and personal setbacks.
In some cases, joining a group is the safest way to level up. Powerlifting, for example, is about hoisting the heaviest weight you can manage for three exercises: squat, bench press, and deadlift (Curious about these “Big Three” lifts? See “A Powerlifting Workout.”) Though you could lift weights safely in your garage, you might challenge yourself to lift heavier when you’re surrounded by a supportive community that can monitor your form. “It makes a big difference,” says Kyle Young, head coach of Team USA for the United States Powerlifting Association.
Before Halle Sawicki started powerlifting, in March 2023, the 16-year-old athlete had played softball and volleyball. But training for team sports had helped her build strength, inspiring a family friend to suggest she enter a powerlifting competition.
Sawicki surprised herself by qualifying for nationals and immediately falling in love with the solo sport.
“It’s not really a competition; it’s just a fun time,” she says. “Of course you have competitors, but the people you’re competing against are supporting you and you’re supporting them.”
Since then, Sawicki has set world records for her age division — and enjoys competing in a sport that allows her to build strength and friendships. “The environment is very motivating,” she says. “Powerlifting is a solo sport, but we use each other to get better.” (Learn more about the performance benefits of working out in a group at “The Power of Working Out in a Group.”)
3) New Friendships
Practicing your sport with like-minded people is a great way to make new friends.
“Shared experiences create a sense of camaraderie and low-stakes social interaction, especially for those who are nervous or wary of building relationships,” explains Hobson Stoner.
Building these social connections offers numerous benefits for overall health and vitality, especially as you grow older. Studies have found that loneliness can increase the odds of early death by 26 percent — a risk factor comparable to smoking. And social isolation is associated with cognitive dysfunction and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 50 percent greater risk of dementia.
“At my age, sometimes people don’t make new friends or expand their circle,” adds Murphy. “The race team is a diverse and intergenerational group, and my teammates have been so welcoming and lovely, inviting me to join them on a long run, following each other on [the fitness-tracking app] Strava, even getting together outside of running.” (Learn more about why social bonds are so important to our health at “Why Social Bonds Are So Important for Our Health.”)
4) Cognitive Boost
Exercise is great for your brain. Moving your body can improve alertness, coordination, concentration, memory, mood, imagination, and more. And Dahlkoetter notes that it boosts neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to build new neural connections, which is especially helpful for slowing cognitive decline.
Working out with other people can amplify these brain-health benefits, she says. “When you’re exercising with other people, you’re challenging your brain to not only move your body but also to relate to other people — by negotiating a common space as well as by having close conversations.”
Additionally, social bonding increases levels of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. This may ease depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. (Learn more about the many brain benefits of working out at “8 Powerful Ways Exercise Benefits the Brain.” And find more information about how exercise can support mental health at “7 Ways Movement Benefits Mental Health.”)
5) Sense of Meaning
You might pursue your chosen sport for the health benefits, the stress relief, the athletic challenge, the longevity potential, or the simple joy of movement.
Whatever your reasons, practicing your sport alongside other people can foster a sense of belonging and give you a greater sense of purpose. This can transcend your training and imbue the rest of your life with meaning.
“When your workout is also a place of social connection, support, camaraderie, or encouragement,” Hobson Stoner says, “sticking to your routine is easier and reaching your goals can be more meaningful.”
This article originally appeared as “Solo Athlete, Team Spirit” in the July/August 2025 issue of Experience Life.
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