You wake up, you head to the gym, you do your workout, and you go home. Or you wake up, you turn on the TV, you blast through a workout DVD or treadmill workout, and you go about your day. Boring, right? Did you know that working out with a partner can not only be more fun but more beneficial to your ultimate fitness goals as well?
Workout Partners aren’t as Expensive as Trainers
Seriously. Trainers are great and serve a purpose, but they aren’t there to work out with you and they aren’t there for every single workout. You and your workout buddy can motivate and inspire each other – for free.
Enhanced Results
Working out with a partner is motivational and inspirational. Even on a bad day, you’re more likely to push just a little bit harder than you would have if you were on your own. You’re less likely to skip a workout if you know that your buddy is depending on you, too. You’ll both be more likely to stick with your workout routines for longer periods of time and you will get better long-term results.
Accountability
Every fitness guru you encounter will tell you to schedule your workout – plan it, put it on your calendar, and consider it an appointment with yourself. Working out with a partner will make you more likely to keep that appointment. You’re depending on each other to show up.
There’s Safety in Numbers
Really, there is. Having a workout partner mean you’ll have someone who can help you to correct your form, which means you’re less likely to do something wrong and injure yourself. You should still have a trainer assess your form once in a while, but you and your partner should be able to help each other out between formal training sessions.
Friendly Competition is Healthy
I did say friendly competition. A lot of us look at our workout buddies and want to achieve the same level of fitness he has. This is good, if you push yourself beyond your comfort zone while at the same time recognizing your limits. Seeing a workout partner working hard is the perfect motivation to not give up. And, again, you’ll get better results. Don’t turn it into a real competition, though. If you start to get jealous of your partner’s achievements (or vice versa), you may need to consider a new workout partner. You don’t want your workouts to become a cause of stress and tension.
Variety is Key
You and your partner will have different strengths and ideas. This means you both have something to bring to the table during each workout session. Take turns creating the daily workout or split up the parts of the body you’re working on so that each is in charge of planning for a different major muscle group. Shake things up, try new exercises, experiment with new classes, and enjoy your time together.
Your workout partner should be someone you like, with a great attitude and a similar fitness goal to yours. Look for someone you know won’t make excuses and who will show up for you as often as you show up for her. You’ll be pleased with your relationship and results!