Benefits of Working Out With a Friend
Sometimes a workout can be the ‘me time’ you really need, but at other times it's just another task on your to-do list and a date with your friends at the pub sounds much more appealing. But you shouldn't have to choose between reaching your goals and having a social life. So with yesterday being International Friendship day, we thought we’d help you do both by showing you five of the benefits you could gain from working out with a friend…
Makes you More Accountable
Arranging to meet someone at the gym before work will keep you accountable and stop you from pressing snooze - leave them waiting at 6am too many times and you might not be friends much longer! You might be willing to sabotage our own progress, but you're much less likely to skive your gym session when you're letting someone else down too.
Friendly Competition
There's something about a bit of friendly competition that really makes you push yourself that little bit harder. Spark your competitive nature by challenging a friend to a tough run or workout, or even better, make a deal that the loser buys the post workout shakes - that'll certainly get you running faster!
Try Something New
Working out on your own often means falling back into the same old routine of exercises. Combine your brain power with a friend's to get some new exercise ideas, giving your body the variety it needs to make progress. You can even try some fun new partner exercises and workouts for something a little bit different!
Support Network
Struggling for motivation to eat well or push yourself in the gym? Having a friend on the journey with you will give you the support network you need when things get tough. Share your progress and check in with each other regularly to make sure you both stay motivated to reach your goals. You can even plan to refuel together post workout with a healthy meal!
More Fun!
The more fun you're enjoying your workouts, the more sustainable they will be in the long run! Training regularly with a friend is so much more fun than always going solo, and instead of dreading that post-work gym session you'll be looking forward to spending some quality time with your best pal. That doesn't mean you can spend the whole time chatting though - it's time to sweat!