Working out can feel grueling to some folks. Keeping that appointment with your trainer twice or three times a week can feel overwhelming at times, especially when the only person you are measuring yourself and your commitment to the cause against is – YOU. When you partner up, however, all kinds of magical things can happen both when you train with me and when you exercise on your own.
Don’t get me wrong. I adore my private clients, especially the one who rarely fail to keep their appointments. But I do notice that for others, working out with someone else has huge advantages for a number of reasons:
· A University of Southern California study using 117 adults cited that those who worked out with a buddy said they enjoyed exercise more than those who sweat alone.
· Did you know it’s actually safer to be partnered up for exercise? Checking one another’s form (like when your butt is in the air during planks or push-ups) or leaning forward too much during squats or lifting weights can save you from injury as well as a lot of residual pain that may follow.
· You’ll probably push yourselfa tad harder when you don’t exercise alone, not to compete with your partner, but just to finish the exercise or complete the requisite number of reps, because there is someone there to help you stay accountable to. People who exercised with someone they thought was in better shape than they were work out up to 200% harder and longer than others, according to researchers at Kansas State University.
· You won’t find as many reasons to cancel a workout or skip a workout when someone is counting on you to show. You may even limit your social media and texting breaks when there is someone there to rag on you.
· When you work out with a trainer present, you’ll save money! When our budgets are limited, splitting things with a workout partner may make you both able to afford your trainer and you’ll train longer!
I have seen the interactions between my clients when two or more work out together. Some love watching their buddies go through their paces just to know which exercise they may be doing next. Others offer reassurances to their workout partners, since they may have already been where their partner is going. Whatever the dynamic, when you find someone who is just as committed to making changes as you are, the chances are good that it’s going to be the beginning of a beautiful (and healthy) exercise relationship….