Reasons Why You Should Not Work Out Alone

It’s Fitness Friday and these are my favorite Reasons Why You Should Not Work Out Alone.

 Modern scene with young people practicing sport in gym

5 reasons why you should not work out alone

It’s still early in the beginning of a new year and it is time yet again to decide on a resolution.  You’ve tried the “lose weight/exercise more/eat healthy” combo in the past, without keeping it up past the first few weeks.  Not enough time, busy with the kids, too tired after work… all valid excuses but they don’t generate any results, right?  How about you do things differently this year and find a partner to exercise with you?  It’s a very simple idea that could boost your results tremendously, and here’s 5 reasons why.

It’s more fun!

It’s kinda hard to motivate yourself to go to the gym after a long day of work when all you have to look forward to is pedaling on a stationary bike while watching Wheel of Fortune without sound.  When you have a workout buddy, exercising becomes a social activity, so it’s instantly more enjoyable!  Instead of dreading going to the gym, working out will become a way of spending quality time with your significant other, a family member or a good friend.  Studies have shown that couples who go to the gym together only have a 6.3 % drop out rate compared to people who exercise alone.  Your partner will most likely introduce you to new routines or show you how to use a machine you had never tried before, which will bring variety to your fitness regimen.  More appealing than going alone, don’t you think?

It keeps you accountable

If you find a person you like to work out with, it is very likely that you will plan your exercise sessions ahead of time and make space in your schedule for the gym.  Cancelling at the last minute because you don’t feel like it will probably disappoint your partner and you most certainly want to avoid that.  When you make a commitment to someone important in your life, you definitely don’t want to let them down.  By planning work out sessions with that person, you significantly increase your chances of keeping your new year’s resolution!

It gives you support

Having the support of a loved one was identified as one of the most important factors in successfully keeping healthy habits by personal trainers.  A partner will motivate you to push through when you want to stop and will make you feel understood because you are going through the same challenges together.  Even in good times, when you feel like you got your routine down and are finally seeing results, having a friend with you will keep you grounded.  Finally, your work out buddy will provide extra safety by making sure you do your exercises properly, diminishing the risks of injury.

It keeps you competitive

We are talking about friendly competition here.  It’s not like we are training for the Olympics, but a little bit of healthy competition between two buddies never hurt anyone!  In fact, studies have proven that working out with a partner who is fitter than you are, not by a lot though, will positively impact your results by motivating you to “beat them”.  The fitter person provides you with an achievable goal : if they can do it, so can you!

I’m lucky that I have a whole family to work out with.  My husband has been in the fitness industry for many years and we’ve always  incorporated fitness into our daily lives.  It was an good example for my children when they were growing up.   Having teenagers is sometimes the push you need to get out the door and to just do it too!  Thankfully all three of my now young adult children are still very active and love to work out with me still.  Who do you work out with?  I’d love to hear about your support system.

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