Better with two. Why a gym buddy will improve your workout

The gym can be a sociable place if you’re not plugged into music or watching a screen. Should you exercise with a friend though or is it more beneficial to your workout be focussed in your own workout zone?

Whether you’re heading to a class or the gym, taking a friend will give you moral support and some guaranteed company. You’re more likely to look forward to your workout sessions and so more likely to keep them up.

Knowing that someone is meeting you at the gym is also a great way to ensure that you turn up. Noone likes to let their friends down. Plan regular workout slots that suit you both – that makes for an instant exercise habit. 

Lastly you're more likely to keep going - run that last 5 minutes on the treadmill or do those last few sit-ups - if you have someone to keep up with. Noone likes to be the first one to quit!

So what makes a good exercise friend?

• Similar starting point; ideally you should be starting at the same level of fitness, even if that is absolute zero. That way you should stay ‘in sync’ as you progress.
• Similar goals: things work best if you are both aiming for the same point. One person training for a marathon and one just planning an occasional jog probably won’t work too well.
• Similar schedules; if you are to meet up, you need to be free at the same time. So find someone whose office hours are similar to yours, or whose days off coincide with yours.
• Other shared interests; to give you something to chat about as you clock up the miles or the repetitions.

Two heads are better than one, and in the gym two bodies can get fitter than one. Go on, take a friend to the gym!