According to a recent dailySpark poll, 75% of you do not work out with a buddy. I'm more of a solo exerciser myself, but sometimes—especially when I need a little entertainment or motivation—I like working out with a friend. I don't strongly take one side or the other on this issue. I think different things work for different people. But some new research is showing that pairing up to work out might have more benefits than you realized…
In 2007, a small University of Virginia study of 34 students yielded some interesting results about friends and physical challenges. Participants stood at the base of a hill wearing a weighted backpack. Some of them were all alone. Others were paired up with a friend. Researchers then asked them to estimate how steep the hill in front of them really was. The students who stood with a friend estimated that the hill was less steep than students who stood alone did. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared to them.
We could easily apply these findings to a wide range of workouts. Simply being with a friend can make the physical challenge of exercise seem less daunting to you—especially if you're doing it with one of your best friends. This actually makes me think back to my Grand Canyon hiking trip last year. Surprisingly, I never viewed the multi-day excursion (also with weighted packs!) as very challenging, despite the grand scale of the trails we climbed. Could that be because I took the journey with my very best friend of almost 7 years?
Besides making exercise seem easier, here are three more reasons to try working out with a buddy—at least occasionally. - Working out with a buddy makes exercise more fun. As long as you're a somewhat social person, I think this is true. Whether it brings out an inner competitiveness that helps you work harder and pass the time, or helps you maintain a lighthearted attitude about Zumba class (at least you two will feel like fools together), exercising with a friend can help freshen up your routine when you're feeling bored.
- Working out with a buddy lets you multitask. My aforementioned best friend and I both exercise regularly, although usually not together. Often, when we're craving friend time and need to catch up, we do so by working out together: running, walking or hiking. We also tend to do this when one of us needs to vent, so talk about multitasking: spending time with friends, getting things off your chest, reducing stress (via that connection and the exercise), and meeting our fitness goals. That sounds like a win-win-win-win to me! Bonus: Being able to carry on a choppy conversation is a good indicator that you're working at the right intensity level!
- Working out with a buddy provides accountability. While I don't think it's wise to always rely on someone else to stay motivated yourself, it can work in a pinch. I tend to be motivated to work out most days. But when I'm not, I'll call up a friend. Then my workout is more like an appointment that I have to keep because I don't want to cancel or let the other person down. This is a great technique to try on occasion, but I also think it's important to make a habit of finding ways to stay motivated on your own—without always needing to rely on someone else.
If you're interested in getting more support for your fitness goals, check out this great article from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). It outlines 10 ways to get support for your workouts, plus more ways you can get support without actually having (or relying on) a fitness buddy.
Do you think that exercising with a friend can make your workouts seem easier—or more fun?
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