Did you know that Stanford
University has found that simply receiving a phone from a friend every few
weeks to ask about your workouts can increase the amount of time you workout by
78% on average over a year?!
Can you imagine what would happen if that friend worked out WITH
you?
Here are a list of the Top 10 Benefits I have found to working
out with a Partner or Friend!
1.
Motivation
·
It is so easy for us to make excuses and cancel time at the gym
or in a class when we are working out by ourselves. Knowing that your friend is
waiting for you or that you committed to them that you would workout can help
you get passed the urge to quit or cancel.
2.
Competition
·
There is nothing better than some friendly competition. When you
see your friend do one more pushup, lift 5 more pounds or run one extra lap it
pushes you to want to get there too or even break their record.
3.
Accountability
·
When you have to answer to someone about sneaking in that
cookie, not making it to class, or not getting to the gym for 3 days, you feel
guilty! The thought that you will have to tell your pal why you aren’t meeting
the goals you set will make you think twice about breaking your commitments in
the first place!
4.
Friends will keep pushing you to work harder
·
It is easy to get comfortable once we start seeing the results
that we like. It also easy to stop at the first limits we wanted to reach.
Remember when it was hard to do 10 pushups?! A friend will always help you to
keep raising your bar and push your limits so you can continue to make progress
and not plateau.
5.
Easier to Eat Healthy
·
Studies show that people in groups will eat similar foods. If
you’re going out to eat with your workout buddy you will be more likely to both
recommend and want to eat at a healthier location. An even better benefit is
that you have someone to try and share recipes with!
6.
Easier to try new workouts
·
Sometimes a workout gets boring and that makes it easier to give
in to the temptation of quitting. There may be new classes or machines at
the gym you have been wanting to try but you are afraid you might look silly
doing it on your own if you have never done it before. Having a workout buddy
who is willing to try new things with you will keep you from passing up new
opportunities to find the workouts you love and may end up being GREAT at.
7.
More Fun
·
Working out with a friend is ALWAYS more fun. You can laugh with
each other when you are learning new moves in Yoga, give each other that LOOK
when your new favorite song come on in kickboxing, or even join crazy 5k races
that involve trudging through mud and jumping over fire!
8.
No better way to bond
·
When you are working out with a friend you are spending
important quality time with each other and you become more invested in each
other’s wellbeing and health. You will also now have another common interest
that you can share with each other which is important in maintaining that
relationship and it is easier to share your struggles with someone who knows
you and can be there to support you through your hard days.
9.
Working out with a friend can be cheaper
·
By working out together you can split a personal training
session or look for “bring a friend” deals for classes in your area.
10.
You always have someone to CELEBRATE with
·
After pushing each other to meet the goals you set, holding each
other accountable for months and suffering through countless salads, grilled
chicken instead of fried, no pasta and less wine or beer, what better way
celebrate then with your WORKOUT FRIEND! Your workout partner has been the
person who was there with you at the start, made it with you to your first goal
and who will take the journey with you to your next and you should take the
time to enjoy your accomplishments with each other. It gives you both something
to look forward to!
