Friends Make Everything Better (Including Fitness)
Do you ever get bored during solo workouts? I find a run by myself can clear my head, but sometimes it can get lonely, and I tend to not push myself as hard.
I've previously discussed ways to overcome a workout slump, but after doing a group run this weekend, I started thinking about how friends can push you to achieve goals and help freshen up your workout routine. Here are a few ways you can grab your pals or meet some new peeps to help make fitness a little more fun.
Sign Up For A Race Together
What better excuse to hang out with your crew than to have weekly training sessions? I signed up for my first (and only to date) half ironman with one of my best friends a couple years ago. I don't think I could have done the race without all of the training we did together! It was like built-in happy hour time, except we were working out for hours on end (totally not the same thing but definitely better health benefits). Having someone that is as committed as you are holds you both accountable for training. Win-Win.
Friends who sign up for races together... finish together!
Plan a Group Workout
I recently attended a get together organized by one of my friends: a group run, followed by strength exercises and finished with brunch at their house. Genius, right? For the strength training part, we all got in a circle and each person demonstrated an exercise that the rest of the group would complete by either a time allotment or count. I hardly ever do core exercises, (seriously, who does) but when there were eight other people doing planks, it was (almost) fun and definitely motivating.
Running, friends and brunch.
What could be better?
Join a Training Group
Don't have many athletic friends? Not a problem. I didn't have any friends who would join me in the pool for a workout so I signed up for a master's swim group at my local community pool. The best part? I made a ton of new friends! A master's or training group can help improve your performance in a few ways. First, you're likely not coming up with the training sessions so you'll be doing different workouts weekly which is great for switching things up. Secondly, there will be people with varied speeds in the group. Pushing yourself to join the speedier individuals can improve your performance.
Group Motivation at Its Finest
Jacuzzi time is the cherry on top of a good workout!
I would compare my swimming speed to more of a whale's pace than a shark's, but when my pool mates encouraged me to join them in a faster lane, it was all the encouragement I needed.
I've improved by over 15 seconds per 100 yards because I pushed myself to keep up!
Are you thinking about calling your friend yet to join you for your next workout?
