We all know that exercise is healthy—but wouldn't it be great if knowing that was enough to make us do it?
Sometimes we just need a little motivation to get us going! That’s why exercising with a friend can be so much more effective. Working out with a buddy keeps both you and them accountable for staying committed, and eliminates the risk of skipping a day (or five) when life gets in the way, parental responsibilities take over, or you’re feeling tired.
You might be ready for the commitment required to share an exercise routine with a friend, but are they? If the answer is no, chances are you need some pointers about how to change their perspective.
Working out with a friend is a fun, practical, and highly effective way to nourish a healthy relationship with exercise.
If you are ready to hit the gym but your bestie isn’t, this article is for you!
1. Use It As A Bonding Opportunity
If your friend isn’t convinced that sweating is the best way for you to spend time together, remind them of the opportunity for bonding that it provides. You can use the time you spend working out as a time to catch up on recent gossip, discuss aspirations, or crack a bunch of jokes.
Physical exercise can be challenging at times, but that’s part of why it’s such a good activity to bond over. Some studies suggest that people who undergo stressful experiences together tend to create faster, deeper bonds than those who never endure hardships as a team. You and your workout buddy are one challenging BODYCOMBAT class, away from being closer than ever!
What you talk about isn’t actually what’s important. It’s about getting one-on-one time together to connect, grow closer, and have fun.
2. Let Them Pick The Workout
Your friend may be more open to exercising with you if they are afforded more control over the type of exercise you do. It could even be that the style of workout you’ve picked is the very reason they feel resistant to join in. If they prefer yoga or barre classes and you’re all about powerlifting, they’re not going to feel highly motivated to be your workout buddy.
Ask your friend what they’d like to do, what level of impact and intensity they’d prefer, what their goals are, and when they want to work out. Once they get comfortable doing what they enjoy, they’ll probably agree to try out new machines or workout routines.
3. Experiment With Exercises
When you have a workout buddy, the number of exercises you can try as a team becomes far larger. Two-person exercises bring freshness and flexibility to the regular solo workout routine and are bound to trigger bouts of laughter when you fail to perfect an exercise. It might even be a fun idea to try out some ridiculously advanced two-person pose just to see what happens.
Buddying up is also a great confidence booster, so if there’s a studio class you’ve always wanted to try but were a little shy, doing it together is a great icebreaker.
4. Incentivize With Rewards
When it comes to a stubborn friend, sometimes it’s a good idea to go with some good old-fashioned bribery. You know them well enough to know that once they get into the swing of things, these incentives won’t be necessary, but for now, they might just do the trick.
Rewards for effort are a great way to inspire action. Tell your friend that for every workout you do together, you’ll sponsor their favorite juice or smoothie. Pick something you know they’ll like and is well within your capacity to give—they might just take you up on it!
5. Coach Each Other Through Hard Moments
Having someone to spur you on when you’re about to give up can have a tremendously positive impact on your workout routine. If your friend is a person who struggles with endurance, reminding them you will be there to push them forward might help them come round.
One of the best parts about a shared workout is that both of you can receive the emotional and physical support necessary for hitting your targets. You’re in this together!
6. Remind Them Of The Value
Remind your friend that rather than shelling out a huge sum of money on a personalized workout plan, you can come up with a routine together. This gives you the freedom to tailor your workouts in a way that you both enjoy. There are also plenty of free workout routines online that are great for trying out together in the gym. Plus, you get the added benefit of a personal supporter who knows you well from the inside out.
7. Celebrate Your Progress Together
Every completed workout is a reason for celebration. You might want to consider motivating your friend to work out with you by arranging a weekly or monthly check-in on the progress you’ve each made. This will stimulate their sense of accomplishment and encourage them to feel proud of their efforts.
This is a good idea to do, even if you are working out solo. Tracking your progress will help you recognize how far you’ve come, and make you feel proud of the hard work, sweat, and tears that you’ve put in.
Adding celebration into your workout schedule will make sure that neither you nor your friend ever misses out on an opportunity to experience healthy pride, satisfaction, and self-achievement.
8. Make It Fun
At the end of the day, what might put your friend off from exercise is the myth that it can’t be fun. And the truth is, in the beginning stages of exercise, not every gym session is. However, you can make it fun by finding a gym they love and choosing workouts that are super rewarding.
Creating a fun playlist you can both listen to is a great idea, as is having a regular sauna or juice bar date scheduled for after your workouts.