1. Reach and exceed your goals – Accountability is massive when considering reaching your health and fitness goals. Whether it’s a shared motivation or individual, the knowledge that you each depend on each other to reach those goals will help you overcome those days when you just don’t feel like it! Even if you don’t have a training partner you can still get the benefits from someone simply scheduling a weekly call to see how you’re getting on; A recent study by Sandford University found that people exercised 78% more when anticipating a phone call from either a person or computer asking for details of their training week!
Full article below!https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704314904575250352409843386
2. It’s more fun – Nothing like a healthy bit of competition to impact the positive outcomes of your sessions. It doesn’t have to be life or death competition but enough to improve the intensity and create a bit of fun. If you look forward to the sessions, you are far more likely to stick to them and adhere to any coherent structure! Training can be a solitary and at times often lonely business. If you struggle with this, you are never going to continue with it! Having a partner makes it more enjoyable and can push you to try new things you may not have tried on your own!
3. It’s rewarding – You may not initially realise it right away, but the impact you may have on someone’s life maybe be more profound than you realise. Everything you need you can also provide; the support, the motivation, the drive, the competition, the accountability and most importantly, the friendship. Do not underestimate the importance of the social aspect of health clubs. We find that people tend to quit service and institutions, but they rarely quit communities. Places they feel comfortable and that people care about their goals.
HOW TO PICK YOUR GYM BUDDY?
1. Pick some with compatible goals – Weight loss, strength training or just getting to the gym on a regular basis at similar times! Ideally you’d have a plan or workout that you could do together as that can help with correct form, appropriate rest periods and helping each other consistently improve week to week.
2. Training style – Training with someone who has a similar training style is incredibly important, from choosing the right Personal Trainer to gym buddy. If you are someone who likes variety and high-intensity training sessions, then picking someone who likes structured methodical and periodized programs isn’t going to work for either of you! You’ll end up either getting frustrated, fatigued or bored; none of which are conducive to long-term adherence!
3. You actually like training with them – Let’s face it, if you hate the person you train with, you’re hardly going to find them motivating or encouraging. You need to find someone you look forward to seeing after a long, tiring day because you know when you get to exercise they are going to push you through the mental block a rubbish day can have! Whether they are an existing friend, a role model or a stranger who exudes the type of attitude you aspire too, chose wisely because reaching your goals is more important than anyone one person.
4. Are they fitter than you? – occasionally, and this is an absolute necessity, it does help to partner up with someone who is a little further down the fitness path than you. If they are fitter, stronger, more confident or more experienced, it’s only going to serve as extra motivation to you. You will strive to catch them up, learn from their technique and establish achievable milestones as they have been there before. Ideally, this person could be a PT if technique and experience are what you’re after!
In summary, the use of a gym buddy has been shown multiple times to improve the chances of not only reaching your fitness goals but making exercise a more maintainable routine that can positively impact those around you. Don’t underestimate the potential!
At lanes we have created a ‘GYM BUDDY’ system with you in mind, so if this is something you think you would benefit from, interested in or think would be good for someone then get in touch with the fitness team today!
Or alternatively, nominate yourself as a buddy and help change someone’s life. We are a community, lets work together on this one!
ashali@laneshealthclubs.co.uk
