woman and man running on the beach

Many of us struggle to commit to a workout routine because life gets in the way. Between work, kids and your social life, it’s hard to find time to hit the gym. At Integrated Rehab, we encourage everyone to live a healthy lifestyle, to help prevent injury and future health complications, like heart disease or diabetes.

If your life lacks physical activity, we recommend working out with a buddy for the following five reasons.

Encouragement

After a long day at work, you likely have little drive to go to the gym. On the other hand, you would rather sleep in than get up at dawn for a jog. When work and other obligations keep you from exercising and seeing your friends, why not combine the two? Working out with a buddy allows you to get the exercise you need, as well as socialize. Plus, you and your friend can offer each other encouragement to make it through the workout together.

Safety

We excel in the business of rehabilitating injuries and preventing future ones. Safety is of the utmost importance when you take on a new workout regimen. When you have a buddy to spot you during unfamiliar exercises, the risk of sustaining an injury decreases. A buddy can also correct your form, checking for proper posture and weight distribution to ensure you are completing each exercise the correct way.

Motivation

When you are not motivated to go to the gym, it can be hard to hold yourself accountable for missing a day – or an entire week. A workout buddy can encourage you to be active when you’re feeling tired or simply do not want to leave the house! If you two have plans to attend a spin class together and you skip it, you’re not only letting yourself down, but keeping your friend from meeting his or her fitness goals.

Work Harder

Are you and your friends highly competitive? There is nothing like a little friendly competition to push ourselves to the next level during a workout. The Köhler effect states that we work harder in a group than on our own because of our innate need to prove our value to others. This has its benefits when it comes to meeting and surpassing fitness goals!

Break Free from Routine

When you work out with a partner, he or she can introduce you to new exercises that make the session more fun. We are often more motivated to be physically active when we are not repeating the same routine every time we exercise. You also open the door to more variety with two-person exercises.

Our physical therapy team can help beginners ease into a safe exercise regimen, as well as rehabilitate existing injuries that are holding experienced athletes back from their workout. Contact us today for more information.