Benefits of Exercising with a Partner

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Maia Belay

Exercising with friends can make breaking a sweat more enjoyable. I normally exercise alone, but on the rare occasion I workout with a friend it is always fun. I find that it keeps me at the gym longer because we hold one another accountable for slacking off. It’s also great because I tend to go away from my usual exercise routine and try something new. I did a video story about this topic and interviewed a personal trainer and his client at Bowling Green State University to learn how beneficial it is to exercise with other people.

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2 Responses to Benefits of Exercising with a Partner

  1. Jenny says:
    July 9, 2011 at 6:58 am

    It can be really difficult to motivate yourself to exercise on a regular basis. This is why it is a good idea to make a commitment to training with a partner.

    However you do need to be careful when it comes to choosing a training partner. I have gone through this myself so i speak from experience. Try to train with a partner who is at a similar level to yourself in regards to levels of fitness.

    Picking someone who is at a higher level can be a problem because you will not be able to compete, and your partner will always leave you behind, this is not good for either of you. Training with someone who is at a similar level encourages mild competition and prevents you from getting demoralised.

  2. Benefits of Exercising says:
    August 23, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    Here are a few things to keep in mind when you want to build exercise into your relationship:

    1) Do both of you want to be active? This is a pretty important question, and one that might be a deal breaker for many of you. Definitely a good idea to clear this one up before surprising them by signing them up for that upcoming half marathon.

    2) What do you both enjoy doing? If you love running and your spouse doesn’t, that’s okay: you can run on your own. And if they are avid swimmers but you have a horrible fear of the water, that’s okay too: they can go swimming on their own time. It’s important to not ignore your fitness passions just because your spouse doesn’t share that passion. But you also shouldn’t try to force them to love the exercise just because you love it. Not everyone is cut out for the same type of exercise. It’s a really good idea to at least try out a new exercise a few times before deciding whether or not you enjoy it, but if you don’t enjoy it, don’t force yourself to like it. Sit down with your spouse and find an activity that you both enjoy doing that you can do together.

    3) What are your levels of fitness? Any number of things, including age, gender, health history and diet, can contribute to your capabilities when it comes to exercising. Keep this in mind when you exercise

    4) Are you both willing to be challenged? Relationships put everyone in a vulnerable position, and incorporating fitness into the equation is no exception. There are bound to be times when you will feel discouraged because you can’t lift as heavy or run as fast as your spouse, and you need to accept that. View it as a way to measure your progress and to try to keep up with them – competition can be healthy! Keep it light, fun and positive to make the overall experience one that you look forward to rather than dread.

    5) Will you support each other? You need to be cheerleaders for each other if you’re going to do this together. Don’t belittle your spouse’s efforts. Everyone is going to have varying levels of difficulty when it comes to various exercises, and the best way for you to both get healthy and have fun while doing it is if you encourage each other and cheer them on when they’re starting to tire.

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