7 Reasons You Should Find an Exercise Partner Right Now | Everyday Health

You may have shied away from group fitness classes andworking outwith friends during theCOVID-19 pandemicbecause of social-distancing guidelines. Butexercise is important for health and well-beingfor many reasons. Here's another one: Astudy published in April 2021 in theBritish Journal of Sports Medicineinvolving nearly 50,000 participants found that lack of physical activity was associated with severe cases of COVID-19.

Need an extra push to get moving? Consider looping in a partner. There are safe ways to work out with (or virtually alongside) friends and other exercise enthusiasts right now. And research shows that social support can indeed boost your workout gains.

Simply surrounding yourself with buddies who work out can motivate you to stay active.

According to astudy published in April 2017 inNature Communications, which analyzed five years of data from more than a million runners, MIT researchers found that exercise is “socially contagious” — meaning that the more runners you know, the more likely you are to go out for a run. (The researchers used data recorded in digital fitness trackers by runners that included geographic locations, social network ties, daily running patterns, and pace, duration, and calories burned for each run.)

Exercising with a partner may inspire you to amp up the intensity of your workouts, too.

"Starting exercise is easy — the difficult part is continuing to exercise,” saysHirofumi Tanaka, PhD, a professor of kinesiology and health education at the University of Texas in Austin. “One of the predictors of success in terms of persistent exercise is the support of other people,” he says.

If you’re wondering where to work out with a friend in these COVID-19 times, consider doing your workout outdoors, which theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)says is the safest choice. Meet a friend in the park for a strength-training workout or yoga session while staying six feet apart. If you or your workout partner is unvaccinated, the CDC recommends you wear masks.

TheAmerican Council on Exercise (ACE)suggests doing a video workout with a friend. Or you may be able to work out safely together indoors — there are many gyms and workout studios that require proof of vaccination in order to enter, which can protect against serious cases of COVID-19.

Ready to make your next sweat session way more social? Here are seven reasons why a workout buddy is just what the doctor ordered.

1. You’ll Be Even More Committed to Your Goals

Researchhas found that more than 50 percent of people who start exercising as a New Year’s resolution end up quitting by summer. But are you really going to skip out on youryogaclass if a friend is saving a mat for you at the studio? Dr. Tanaka says that exercise partners provide great motivation to adhere to workout goals.

Indeed, otherresearchhas shown that working out with a friend (even virtually) pushes people to keep at it longer than they would on their own.

2. You’ll Be Less Likely to Get Bored and Quit

It’s easy to get caught in an exercise rut. But research from Scotland suggests that putting a friend into the mix can increase the amount of exercise you do. In astudy published in April 2015 in theBritish Journal of Health Psychology, researchers found that the emotional support of someone you trust can serve as powerful reinforcement for fitness goals.

3. It’ll Help You Feel Less Stressed

We often rely on family and friends to help usget through stressful periodsin life. But a partner may also help alleviate stress in exercise environments. In asmall study published November 2017 in theJournal of Osteopathic Medicine, group exercise participants reported a 26.2 percent reduction in perceivedstress levels, which was more than study participants who exercised on their own. That’s in addition to the fact that exercise (with or without a friend) providesstress relief, pumps your body with feel-goodendorphins, and improves your mood, according to theMayo Clinic.

4. You’ll Push Yourself to Work Harder

In astudy published inSport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, researchers reviewed data from high school track relays and found that inferior athletes made greater gains compared with the top ones when everyone had to perform as part of a team. The researchers were looking to test the Köhler effect, a psychological theory that says motivation increases among individuals working in groups in comparison with individuals working alone, according to theAmerican Psychological Association.

Otherresearch显示了这个效果中也发现了doi的成年人ng strength exercises; study participants worked harder (holding a plank position for longer) when working out with a partner than they did when doing planks on their own.

5. It Might Help You Stick to Your Weight Loss Goals

According toprevious researchthat focused on a group made up mostly of female African American participants, a successful group effort may help you lose more weight than when you go solo. Study participants who tried tolose weightwith the help of family or friends who were also trying to lose weight (everyone participated in a program that involved counseling sessions, dietary changes, and a physical activity program) tended to be more successful than those doing the program on their own.

这可能是更多的电动汽车idence that surrounding yourself with motivated people who are working toward achieving their goals can help you stick to yours.

6. It’s Usually Safer

If you’re lifting weights, having a partner to spot you (which means they’re ready to assist you if you have trouble lifting heavy weight) can indeed be safer than doing it alone. “There is no question [it’s safer to work with a partner] if you’re inclined to work out with free weights,” says Tanaka. According to theNational Academy of Sports Medicine, using a spotter when working with heavy weights maximizes safety and decreases the risk of injury.

There’s also safety in numbers when you’re out on a run: According to theRoad Runners Club of America, running with others increases your safety.

7. You May Even Live a Few Years Longer

If your fitness routine is a social endeavor, it may contribute to your longevity, according to a large study that followed nearly 9,000 people over the course of 25 years. The findings,published in September 2018 inMayo Clinic Proceedings, found that individuals who participated in group sports with more social interactions, like tennis and soccer, lived a few years longer on average than those who participated in solo fitness endeavors such as cycling or jogging.

Pro tip: Play tennis. Hitting the court was associated with nearly 10 years added to the participants’ life spans, compared with just an extra 1.5 years if they slogged it out at the gym.