WHY YOU NEED A WORKOUT BUDDY
- By Dr. Jenni Bruning Brown
- March 14, 2017
3 reasons you need a workout buddy
1. You have to show up. Skipping out on a workout is way harder if you have a friend waiting for you at the gym. “When you make a date with a pal to hit the 9am cycling class, you’re much less likely to skip out,” says Dr. Jenni Bruning Brown, owner of Fly | A Fitness Revolution. You feel obligated to keep your commitment to your friend, she says, and not just to yourself.
2. You work out harder. Keeping yourself honest isn’t the only reason you might want your best bud next to you in your next sweat sesh says Dr. Brown. Research has shown that we tend to take our efforts up a notch or two when we are with a friend or around others. When we work out alone, we may not push ourselves as hard, but with a friend, especially one who is fit, we work harder than we would normally. In fact, a study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine from 2016 showed that when we work out with someone who is fitter than we are, we work significantly harder. Dr. Bruning Brown noted that this can be due to our competitive nature and that we often feel encouraged by others who are comfortable working out and can keep us going in the gym.
3.Last, but not least—it’s just more fun. Friends make working out more fun, less stressful and more enjoyable. Again, the research has come in showing less stress in those riding bikes with others than those riding alone. So, want a mood booster? Just reach for your best pal or your bae!
You’ve killed your #goals. You’ve doubled your weights, met new people in class, moved up in the room and gotten up early for the crack of dawn classes. Whatever your next goal is, adding a pal will help you stick to your exercise and health plan. Want to know why?
1. You have to show up. Skipping out on a workout is way harder if you have a friend waiting for you at the gym. “When you make a date with a pal to hit the 9am cycling class, you’re much less likely to skip out,” says Dr. Jenni Bruning Brown, owner of Fly | A Fitness Revolution. You feel obligated to keep your commitment to your friend, she says, and not just to yourself.
2. You work out harder. Keeping yourself honest isn’t the only reason you might want your best bud next to you in your next sweat sesh says Dr. Brown. Research has shown that we tend to take our efforts up a notch or two when we are with a friend or around others. When we work out alone, we may not push ourselves as hard, but with a friend, especially one who is fit, we work harder than we would normally. In fact, a study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine from 2016 showed that when we work out with someone who is fitter than we are, we work significantly harder. Dr. Bruning Brown noted that this can be due to our competitive nature and that we often feel encouraged by others who are comfortable working out and can keep us going in the gym.
3.Last, but not least—it’s just more fun. Friends make working out more fun, less stressful and more enjoyable. Again, the research has come in showing less stress in those riding bikes with others than those riding alone. So, want a mood booster? Just reach for your best pal or your bae!
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