Tip Of The Week: Buddy Up!

Having Workout Buddy Is the Best Thing Ever!

Did you know that exercising with others can help you achieve your health goals? Not only is having one more fun, but fitness buddy can make you more accountable, motivated, and even accelerate your fitness goals. 

 

Don’t do it alone! If you could only do two things to improve your health, exercising and hanging out with friends is suggested. The former is self-explanatory, but the latter may be even more important than you’d think; Loneliness is as harmful to your well-being as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a recent study in Perspectives on Psychological Science.  This is backed up by a research survey conducted by the Department of Kinesiology at Indiana University, found that couples who joined health clubs together that worked out separately had a 43% dropout rate over the course of a year. Those who went to the gym together, irrespective of whether they focused on the same type of exercise, had only a 63% dropout rate.

Working out can be lonely, especially long cardio sessions. Having a buddy next to you to talk with while you slave away on the treadmill can make the time fly by…

A study conducted at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine proved that exercising with a partner improves weight-loss results. Furthermore, according research work by the University of Southern California with sample study drawn from 117 adults, those who exercised with friends (or a spouse or co-worker) said they enjoyed the exercise more than those who got sweaty unaccompanied. Makes sense; you like hanging out with your friends, you (mostly) like working out—combine the two and you twice the fun.

Exercising with others helps you stay motivated and consistent. If you know a friend won't pound the pavement without you or is waiting for you at the gym, it's tough to bail.It might be tempting to skip yoga class after a long day at work, but if you know your friend already has her mat rolled out, you won't want to let her down.

Worried that your fitness buddy is fitter than you? Good. Research stufy from Kansas State University, found that people who exercised with someone they felt that was better than them worked out up to 200% harder and longer than others. This is because human are naturally competitive, so when you’re with a fit friend, you find it easier to really push yourself to keep up. (Though, there is such a thing as being Too Competitive at the Gym.)

How To Find The Best Workout Buddy

The benefits of a workout buddy are endless, but it's important to find someone who will inspire—not discourage. So make a list of all your exercise-loving friends, and then see who fits these criteria; can your buddy meet to exercise on a regular basis? Is s/he supportive (not disparaging) of your goals?  Lastly, will the buddy be able to keep up with you or even push your limits in key workouts? If you've got someone that fits all three, then buddy up!

Whether you're trying to shed a few kgs or simply want to lead/maintain a healthy lifestyle, here are some great strategies to find a workout buddy.

• Meetup.com As the world's largest network for special-interest groups, it's tough not to be inspired by the fun things people are signing up for on this site. You can find anything from a local hiking group to meet-ups for exercising with your pets!

• FindanExercisePartner.com The name says it all, right? All you have to do is enter your city, a little information about you, and you might find a perfect match!

• Go social. Find support outside of your home. There are various fitness and healthy living groups on Facebook you can join to help you succeed. Hook up with someone in the group and motivate each other through emails, instant chat or meet-up for lunch or dinner if you live close by.

Reap the same benefits wherever you live: Create a profile on GymChum.com or SparkPeople.com. Then record your progress, connect with other inspiring individuals, and prepare to build new friendships and muscle cells. Seek out someone who is just a step above your fitness level for the biggest benefits.

• Workplace. Have a co-worker who seems like s/he is just as interested in healthy living as you are? Talk to him/her about it. You may find that you have fitness goals in common, and because you see each other every day and have similar schedules, it will be easy to plan time to exercise!