It can be difficult keeping to a workout schedule when you have a job and or family and errands to run. Even if you can drag yourself to the gym or go for a jog, the expended effort is oftentimes minimal.

However, there is a wonderful and enjoyable way to beat the blahs, increase your exercise output, and burn more calories all at the same time. The answer is a workout buddy.

Inspiration

First and foremost, working out with a friend is inspirational. A gym partner drives you to work harder, spots you to lift more, and allows you to focus more on your exercises and less on how long you have been at the gym. Working out with someone else also gives you time to be social and catch up on each other’s lives, often inspiring you to change your ways. While you’re chatting, you can share common fitness goals, create new ones, and work together to accomplish them.

Accountability

A workout buddy is also an excellent source to keep you accountable. It’s far too easy to tell yourself all the reasons why you don’t want to get out of bed for that early morning run or exercise session, or why you need to work late and avoid the gym, but it’s another thing to make those same excuses to a friend, especially if you’ve discussed fitness goals together and they’re standing in your face!

An exercise partner will be able to see through your flimsy excuses and encourage you to make your session. They will exalt you, prod you and even get stern with you, causing you to keep to your exercise program. Consistency is vital in exercise programs. The more you do the more calories you burn and the better you feel.

Extended Workouts

When exercising alone, we tend to think watch the clock in order to end the workout routine exactly on time or even cut it short. However, with a buddy along to chat with we more easily lose track of time and are willing to extend workouts instead of cut them short or force them into a certain amount of time.

Longer periods of exercise will increase body metabolism and burn calories, even after your intense buddy workout is over.

Harder Workouts

You and your exercise buddy can take advantage of your time together to participate in a little friendly competition. Challenging each other to see who can do the most pushups, row the fastest, cycle up the hill first, etc will cause your normal workouts to be transformed into high intensity fat burning and muscle building sessions. Your workout buddy also serves as your spotter, in which he or she is able to support the weight you are lifting so you can train harder and go to complete failure. Proper spotting should increase safety and allow for better training.

New Exercise Experiences

Being in the habit of exercising with a fitness friend also opens up other doors into new exercise experiences. They may want to try out Pilates, Zumba, or kickboxing and, of course, they’ll want you to come along with them!

Getting involved in new forms of exercise is great for motivation and attitude. Diversifying workouts adds an extra pinch of spice to your fitness life and challenges your various muscle groups in different ways.

The next time you’re feeling complacent or just want someone to keep you company, pick up the phone and ask a friend to accompany you in your exercise program. It will give you a chance to enjoy each other’s company, get you both into great shape and burn multiple more calories than going to a workout alone.