Power of partnership: How a workout buddy creates consistency

The health benefits of regular exercise are well known, there is *research that says about half of Canadian men are still not achieving the recommended levels of weekly exercise. The same research shows that 42% of respondents pointed to a lack of motivation as the biggest reason they aren’t exercising more.

To help overcome this hurdle, grabbing a workout buddy is proven to create consistency – helping you get the recommended levels of exercise and get moving. Working out with a partner will not only keep you motivated but will help you meet your fitness goals and add a layer of fun that may have been missing when you were trying to fly solo.

The 3 reasons why you should work out with a buddy…

Increased motivation

Without the motivation to start and stay consistent, even the best workout plan or the healthiest diet won’t make a difference. Fortunately, the solution can be as simple as finding a buddy to keep you motivated, accountable, and consistent. A partner can motivate you on your “off days” and will in return count on you to show up for them which can help you stay on track.

Exercise suggestion: Push-up with shoulder tap. This chest, arm and core exercise can bring added fun as a friendly competition to see who can do more shoulder taps before reverting to regular push-ups.

Decreased judgement

One of the biggest barriers when it comes to getting a person into the gym is the judgement factor. This is especially hard for those of us who struggle with motivation and compare our efforts to others at the gym, which is a recipe for failure. By bringing a friend to the gym, you will shift your focus from worrying about others’ judgements to the shared goal you both are working towards, helping each other stay positive in the moment.

Exercise suggestion: Simultaneous bodyweight squats. This dynamic leg workout, which can easily be modified to be a fun partner exercise by facing each other and linking hands, not only targets the quadriceps, calves, and hamstrings, but also stabilizes the knee joints and strengthens lower back.

Increased enjoyment and effectiveness

One of the biggest benefits of having a workout buddy is the ways your session can be structured (whether through healthy competition or collaboration) to significantly increase both the enjoyment and effectiveness of your exercises. Not only is this a way to make your workouts more fun, but your partner can also provide an outside perspective on how you can improve your form, to decrease your risks of injury.

Exercise suggestion: Partner-assisted leg push downs. This fun partner exercise performed one person at a time, with the workout buddy standing above them pushing their legs back down, is perfect for targeting your upper and lower abs.

Now that you have the recipe for consistent fitness motivation, and a few two-person exercises to get you started (with many more to discover on the Planet Fitness App), all that is left to do is find your workout partner and start reaping the benefits of the buddy system!