You may have considered finding a workout partner to share your journey to fitness, but there are both pros and cons of a workout partner. It doesn’t work well for some people but can be amazing for others. There are a lot of reasons workout partners help, one of which is to hold you accountable. It’s the reason personal trainers have such a high success rate. If you know someone is waiting for you to workout, you’re more apt to go.
Being held accountable works two ways.
While being held accountable can get you to the gym, especially if you have a trainer waiting, it’s not always reliable if your workout partner isn’t. It’s a double-edged sword. It can be a great benefit if both of you are dedicated and considerate, you and your partner will show up for the workout even when one or both of you don’t feel like it. However, with the wrong match, you might find yourself alone at the gym, waiting for a partner who never shows.
Your workout partner can be a driving force or a real drag.
Again, if you’re a go-getter and your workout partner isn’t, you might find yourself being held back. Make sure you find someone with the same competitive edge that you have. It can work the opposite way, too. You might need to take it slower and have a workout partner that’s pushing you too hard. In most cases, when people are at approximately the same ability levels, having a workout partner can drive you to even higher achievements, get you to workout longer and try new things.
You don’t have to work directly with someone to have them as a workout partner.
Maybe you have a best friend that wants to get fit and join you in the workout. Try exercising together via zoom or simply make sure you phone one another, first to remind the other to workout and after the workout to see how it went. One study found that just calling someone every two weeks made them 78% more likely to stick with a program of exercise.
- Having an in-person workout buddy can make your exercise program safer. If you’re running, there’s always someone there to get help if necessary. You also have a spotter if you’re lifting weights.
- You’ll have more fun when you workout with a partner. It makes you look forward to exercising and more likely to stick with a program. Just make sure you don’t have so much fun that you forget to exercise.
- You can motivate each other when you have a partner. Most people won’t understand how you may have struggled to achieve your goal or provide the “adda’ boy” when you finally accomplished it. A workout buddy does.
- It’s less intimidating to try something new if you’re not alone. You can be each other’s inspiration to try. If you’re going to an exercise class, you’ll always have one person you know, so it won’t be as intimidating.
For more information, contact us today at ProWeight Loss