Having weight loss goals and an exercise routine is crucial to having a healthy life, but there’s no reason your social life needs to take a hit on behalf of your health. Balancing your workouts and your friends may seem tricky, but blending them together instead of the traditional divide and conquer method can lead to huge improvements in overall happiness. Many people find working out with a friend helps them achieve their goals, and the top Las Vegas weight loss center has to agree. There are massive benefits to working out with a partner, and we’re here to share them with you!
Social support is a proven method for achieving weight loss goals. Having someone to hold you accountable makes you work harder; it’s easier to brush off your own disappointment, but having the pressure of ‘letting down’ another person pushes you harder to succeed. Studies have shown that even talking about achieving workout goals with a friend can motivate you to go a few extra reps on the bench, leaving you with better benefits. Motivation from an outside source is an encouragement to keep going, and sharing success with another human instills a sense of pride. The more pride you feel in your workout, the more likely you are to keep going.
Another benefit of having a workout partner is: workouts simply become more fun. Two heads are better than one, and if your partner is really into yoga you might try it, even if it wasn’t on your radar previously. Having someone to laugh with you as you bend into a shaky downward dog relieves the pressure of feeling like all eyes are on you in the class, and encouragement from your partner can make you stick it through. A light atmosphere makes the workout more enjoyable. The more enjoyable something is, the more you’ll do it.
While you’re working on your awkward warrior pose, consider that your partner could be struggling with a perfect squat form. Having a workout partner not only encourages you to have fun and step outside of your comfort zone, but it also creates a little healthy competition. Who doesn’t have a competitive streak? Knowing you can outperform someone with enough effort will push you to try a little bit harder. Even your best friend will have to yield that you’re better at certain things than them. The sense of pride from working harder to be a little better than someone else is no laughing matter. As long as the competition remains healthy, you and your workout partner can exceed personal workout goals.
Many people find working out with a partner encourages them to work out more. Finding the perfect partner may not be easy; some people start strong and slowly drift off, and some people are on a more advanced path. When you do find the person who matches up with your weight loss goals, you’ll find your workouts are more effective and more fun. There’s nothing wrong with choosing to work out alone if it works for you. It could be a good idea to try a group class to see if stepping outside of your comfort zone pushes you a little harder – and you might even find your perfect gym partner!
