There’s no doubt that moving your body enhances your life, from a post-workout high to the strength it gives you to take on the day. But it turns out the benefits don’t end with physical and mental wellbeing.
Studies have shown that exercise can actually supercharge your social bonds, increase feelings of trust and even make you a more cooperative person. There’s just one simple requirement: you need to move together.
TAPPING INTO collective effervescence
It seems that working out in a group setting – such as in a run club, on a dance floor or as part of a Pilates class – brings with it the power of synchronicity. Being in sync with others can lead to what’s known as ‘collective effervescence’ or ‘collective joy’, which sums up the warm, fuzzy feelings of connection and belonging we get from moving in unison.
“When we move together, whether that’s dancing, marching or simply nodding to the beat, our brainwaves and heart rates tend to sync up. One breath. One move. One heartbeat at a time,” says Jessie Blum, founder of Heartcore.
Jessie’s belief in the power of social motion has led to the creation of the Heartcore Unions; large-scale charitable movement events that bring the community together in greater numbers than is possible during a Heartcore studio class.
“Our Heartcore Unions are a testament to the transformative power of moving together. The physical and neurological alignment that people experience fosters a strong sense of connection, belonging and shared energy among us.”
When we move together, our brainwaves and heart rates tend to sync up. One breath. One move. One heartbeat at a time.
jessie blum
The term collective effervescence dates back to 1912, when French sociologist Émile Durkheim explored the intensification of emotions people felt when they came together and moved together. He suggested that a “sort of electricity is formed by their collecting which quickly transports them to an extraordinary degree of exaltation”.
MOVING TOGETHER IS BETTER
Modern academics have little to disagree with, finding evidence that group workouts can activate the endogenous opioid system, which can promote social bonding through feelings of pleasure and security. And they’ve discovered that social bonding can lead to enhanced exercise performance – meaning moving together is like a merry-go-round of perks.
The sense of oneness achieved at an event like the Heartcore Unions is a surprising and – in our fractured times – welcome side-effect of social motion, but there are other benefits too, of which you don’t even need to be in sync to reap the rewards.
For example, we all know exercise reduces stress, but according to researchers at the University of New England, doing so together gives you a 26 per cent lower stress rate compared to those working out alone. The same researchers found people in a group experienced a 24.8 per cent improvement in physical health compared to those training solo.
One of the likely reasons for a boost in efficacy is that the effort you put in increases when you’re with others. Science out of Kansas State University found that women exercising alongside a partner increased their workout time and intensity by up to 200 per cent.
FINDING JOY IN COMMUNITY
“In a group, we often feel safer expressing ourselves through movement,” says Jessie. “This freedom can make dancing, singing or even just clapping along feel more powerful and cathartic.”
All stats aside, perhaps this sense of community is really all we need to bring our best selves to class and reap maximum rewards from something we know is brilliant for our bodies, minds and hearts. Because collective movement means social sharing and, for humans, that’s an optimum and natural state to be in.
“Music and motion are deeply connected to our emotions, and when experienced in a group environment they tap into some of our most primal instincts,” says Jessie. “It can create a profound and powerful experience.”
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