It’s Better Together: Why Group Exercise Works
As the summer begins, many of us are looking to boost our fitness levels and get active, and we are also looking forward to spending more time with friends.
Why Group Exercise Works
A great way to stay active and on track with your fitness goals is to give group exercise a try. By exercising with friends, you are able to enjoy the mental and emotional benefits of socializing while also giving your body a boost from new, plateau-busting workouts.
Below are a few of the many benefits of working out with a friend or two – by the time you are finished reading this list, you might already have a few friends in mind who can join you.
Strength in numbers
If you are intimidated by gyms, running groups, or workout classes, you are not alone. Most people feel at least slightly tentative when starting a new fitness regimen, hitting the gym for the first time in a while, or booking a fitness class.
One way to counter this apprehension is to bring along a friend or two to your next fitness class or running event. You will have support, someone to pair up with for any partnered activities, and someone to laugh with should you do that Zumba move horribly wrong or fall off the spin bike!
Motivation
When you are working out by yourself, you might find yourself getting bored and experiencing exercise plateaus. Nothing kills a workout routine like boredom, and if you are doing the exact same exercises each time you hit the gym, you may be on a fitness plateau.
Working out with a friend means having a partner to show you new exercises, to push you further than you push yourself, and to have fun while you exercise.
Getting sporty
If you find that the treadmill or weight rack is not really the place for you, consider joining a team sport and staying active that way. Community club sports teams are a great way to meet locals who have the same interests as you while staying fit and active.
Team sports are great for improving your physical health, but studies have shown that they can also benefit your mental health and your ability to focus.
It takes two
There are some exercises that require a workout partner in the gym. Exercises such as dynamic lunges, back-to-back wall sits, reach and touch planks, and medicine ball crunches all require at least two participants.
Your partner also likely has different fitness and exercise experiences and practices, and they can share these with you to boost your workout routine. Once you have a fitness buddy by your side, the possibilities of what you can do in the gym really expand.
Staying on track
We all have those days when we feel like nothing in the world could get us to put on gym gear and running shoes. When you have a friend joining you, they can give you that added push needed to get back into the gym.
If you share a workout regimen or fitness targets, working out with another person provides a sense of automatic accountability. When you are exercising with a friend, canceling your gym date does not just mean that you spend the day at home – it means that you are canceling on a friend.
Building better habits
If you and a friend are tracking fitness goals and exercising together, the chances are greater that you will also start building better habits together. Sometimes, making dietary changes can be daunting as there seem to be a million sources of dietary advice and a thousand diets that all suggest different ways to change your eating habits or get healthy.
It is easier to make dietary changes when you are making those changes with a friend for support, advice, and motivation.
Along with your workout regimen and fitness goals, you can start substituting foods together that are high in saturated fats, processed sugars, and salt for whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and heart-healthy protein sources.
Wrap-Up
These are just a few of the benefits of grabbing your buddy and hitting the trails, gym, or court together.
When you spend time with a friend, everything is more fun and enjoyable – so why not make exercise and fitness more fun?
