Hi, it’s Gemma Smith this time, one of the Fitness Instructors at The Shrewsbury Club. Now that summer is rolling around, our instructors often see members’ attendance go up and down as they struggle to choose ‘gym’ over ‘relaxing in the sun’!
Motivation is always key, and this is one of the reasons that it’s beneficial to work out with a friend, they will help keep you motivated. The benefits of working out with a friend encompass your overall health, weight loss, energy level, and your mood. I want to share some of the most important benefits.
Healthy competition is a good thing and most of us have a (at least somewhat) competitive streak. It helps us perform better. In fact, a study from a professor at Kansas State University in the United States revealed that we perform better if we work out with someone who is fitter than we are.
The concept behind it is attributed to the Köhler Effect; human beings do not want to be perceived as the ‘weaker one’. Perhaps even more interesting is that this even worked with a virtual partner, e.g. just a looping video on a monitor. Simply put, you are going to push yourself a bit more with a friend than you would without them.
Have you ever experienced those moments when you just could not get motivated to go work out? Stanford University has found that even a bi-weekly phone call can make someone exercise upwards of 78 percent more. The call in the study might be made by a computer or human being. During the phone call, the participant in the study was asked what they had done that week. Having someone train with you is going to keep you motivated, even if you are not seeing immediate results.
If you are by yourself, you might feel intimidated to try something new. If you have someone there with you, you are instantly not being singled out. Whether this be trying free weights for the first time, using kettlebells, giving TRX a chance, or trying one of our many fitness classes. It is easier to get started if you have someone there with you.
Secondly, you also have an immediate ‘spotter’ or watchful eye there with you. Having a friend train with you means that you can lift a little heavier or have someone there to analyse the form of your workout while you focus on just doing the exercise itself.
I have already mentioned an improvement in performance, but I am talking about actual skipped workouts here. If you are going by yourself, it is easy to say ‘I don’t feel like it today.’ But if you have someone waiting to meet you at the gym, you are more likely to get up, get dressed, and start training.
If you can’t think of a great training partner, The Shrewsbury Club has some amazing personal trainers that offer you many of the aforementioned benefits and some additional ones as well. If you’d like to know more about our personal training options, grab me when you’re next in the gym or call 01743 467755.
