How and why to try workout partners....

Today's Post:  Tuesday, 7-24-2012

1.  Exercising is extremely good FOR you in a dozen ways and not exercising tends to do the reverse of that TO you.

So, anything that makes exercising more enjoyable for you or makes you doing exercise more likely or reliable is as valuable as the exercise itself!

Having a workout partner or partners can do exactly that. 

2. Regularly socializing with other people in a positive way is also good for you.  It’s often enjoyable, we now know it gives your brain quite a workout, and it often can relieve stress.  So, having a workout partner or socializing in a way that doesn’t trash your workout at the gym has a direct value too.

3.  There are dozens of ways to do this:

Here are a few.

1.  You can get a pro and hire a fitness coach or personal trainer!  You get extra instruction and problem solving help and a built in cheerleader along with the company

2.  You can go to an exercise class or a class teaching an exercise.  Group Aerobic Dancing or taking a Yoga class or group Tai Chi class all do this.  Similarly, some personal trainers will do a group class at the same gym where they offer their personal training individual sessions.  Dancing classes also work.  Retired football star, Jerry Rice was already fit from exercising on his own.  Then he took dancing lessons for his TV appearance and not only did well but lost about 12 pounds!

You often not only learn more in such groups but you begin to miss regular members or be missed if you skip a session which helps you go regularly.

3.  You may have a friend who already goes to the gym and begin to go also when he or she goes.

This one worked very well for me when I was in college.  A good friend did powerlifting at the local YMCA gym two nights a week.  He and a third friend were joining an experienced group of powerlifters on those nights.  My friend Tom invited me to go too.

Back then, I had done weight lifting by myself but I’d do it for a few weeks, try too hard to use more weight, get too stressed, and get too frustrated and stop going.

I hadn’t then learned to go regularly for a long time and to periodically but not every single time make the effort to do more.  I hadn’t learned that doing this was a key to getting a lot stronger.  (I also didn’t know then how incredibly important the regular exercise every week was for my health!)

But, if I felt like skipping because I felt too tired or I didn’t do well at the last session, I WENT ANYWAY!

Why?  Because I wanted even more to see my friends!  Then I’d often find that somehow, I’d actually do well when I got there much of the time.

Then because I went for months without a break, I finally began to get significantly stronger without overstressing by building up gradually.

Once I learned those lessons, I’ve been able to do exercise consistently on my own.  But that experience with my workout buddies taught me what I needed to know.

4.  Another experience I had is something some of you might be able to do.  You can be a friendly workout buddy informally to the people who you begin to see regularly at the gym on the days or evenings you usually go.

Smile, learn their name, cheer them on, and chat a bit.  When I did this, it sometimes meant leaving 10 minutes later than just my workout itself would have needed.  But I also had times when I exchanged several friendly greetings with people and I left on time anyway.

5.  Sometimes, particularly when working out is part of a fat loss effort, you can do it with a family member.  I’ve read of many successful mother daughter teams for example.  And, sometimes working out with your wife or husband works.  (My wife and I went to the gym together a few times.  Each time lasted several months by the way.)  Another way is to take your younger son or daughter to show them how to do the exercises and then just keep going.

In the email I got that sparked my doing this post, “The Benefits of Exercising with a Workout Partner”  “By Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD”,  they also suggest:

6.  “Post a notice at your gym with your schedule to get others to make a “see-you-there” pact.”

7.  “Put an ad in your favorite organization’s e-mail or paper and start your own walking group.”

The most important thing no matter what -- is that you do some exercise and ideally some vigorous exercise including both interval cardio AND strength training each week and exercise for a few minutes most days of every week.  If you can fit in walking and other moderate exercise too that also helps.

But it can be easier to get started; easier for some people to keep doing, and more fun to do with workout partners

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