Here’s Why You Should Socialize While Exercising
Even those of us who love exercising could use a little extra boost of motivation every now and then. For most people, lack of motivation is the most common reason for falling off track in their workout plan. So how can you keep yourself on track? We have one simple solution for you. Find a buddy! If you don’t have a friend to exercise with, then it’s definitely time to get one on board. Finding someone to join you for exercise doesn’t have to be difficult; as US News and World Report can remind you, there are plenty of creative ways to get just about anyone on your team.
Waking Up Isn’t Easy: Getting Motivated
Friends are the best motivator for getting up in the first place. Nobody wants to wake up early in the morning, especially when it’s for something like exercise. But with the promise of a good friend to meet you and keep you company, it can seem a lot more worth it. You can also be comfortable with the fact that you’ll have someone to chat with while you exercise. A friend an keep you motivated with words of encouragement. And it works both ways. You’ll be supporting them too.
Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone: Become Bolder
With a buddy, you also might be more likely to do things you wouldn’t normally do by yourself, like signing up for dance fitness classes. Bombay Jam does look like a lot of fun but how much more fun would it be with a buddy in tow? With a friend at your side, you won’t have to worry about feeling self-conscious in a crowd of people. Having a friend there will create a version of you who will be braver and more likely to try more things, even if it takes a bit of convincing on both sides. And, as WebMD points out, you’ll wind up working out longer when you have a friend along for the grind. After all, nobody wants to be the one to quit first.
It’s All About Accountability
In keeping with the theme of motivation, having a friend as an exercise buddy will also help keep you accountable for what you plan to do. If you tell a friend what your plans are, you’re more likely to stick to them in order to avoid feeling like a flake. And when you do start to achieve your goals, having an amazing support system of friends in place is a great way to help push yourself further. It also helps to have someone on your side to help you with making better choices about your diet. Your friend will remind you from time to time that it might be a good idea to skip out on the double cheeseburger if you ever feel so tempted.
On the other side of things, having a fitness buddy who knows you well is a great way to keep things realistic when deciding how to approach your goals. Sure, you need someone to hold you accountable, but you also need someone who is going to tell you when your goals are out of reach. If you aim for things that you can’t hope to accomplish, you might find yourself facing some undue discouragement. But when you have a friend to help you evaluate and measure your goals in a way that’s actually feasible, you’ll progress a lot further in the long run.
It’s Simply More Fun
Finally, and most importantly: socializing while working out is just more fun. But if you’d like to make things a bit more serious, a little bit of friendly competition can also serve as a great boost. Maybe you’d like to do a weight loss challenge or see who can burn the most calories, just as a form of friendly rivalry. Just be sure to not overdo it, stay safe and not take it too seriously. Nobody wants a friendship fallout over how many miles you ran on the treadmill or the amount of reps each of you can do.
By now, you should be pretty well-versed in all of the ways that keeping exercise social can help you stick to your goals, hold on to your motivation and help you accomplish positive results. But don’t forget that all of this doesn’t happen in a day. It’ll take some time before the fruits of your labor really start to pay off. In the meantime, though, grab some workout buddies to keep your workouts fun and a little less painful.
