The road to living healthy and actively can be a long journey for some of us. Some of us never grew up on the athletic or active path, then some of us fell off the track (literally and figuratively). Whether you joined a gym or boot camp or are embarking on a gym-free exercise regime, some of us will definitely consider whether having an exercise partner is a good decision. Here are some thoughts to consider when that thought enters your mind.
Benefits
You have someone to spot you and help out with form. Let's face it - with the right partner at your side, even personal trainers look to get tips from you.
You have someone with you to keep you motivated. Sometimes we all need a cheerleader to get us through that last push-up or chin-up.
You can celebrate health and fitness milestones with that person. Having your friends tell you how great you look in that new outfit size is rewarding, but there's nothing like a celebratory smoothie with your gym buddy who helped you through the last few weeks of exercise.
You have someone to make good post-workout diet choices with. When it comes to making healthy eating habits, let's be frank: two brains (or in this case, sweaty bodies) are better than one.
Drawbacks
Sometimes you choose someone who turns everything into a competition, which may be discouraging to you, or just plain annoying. Conversely, your gym routine may be discouraging to him/her as well if their level of fitness is not close to yours.
Your workout goals may be different from that of your partner's, which may bring some awkward moments when it comes to the types of training exercises you engage in together.
Your gym partner may have terrible habits before and after their workout, which may threaten your own progress (especially if you work out and spend time together outside the gym).
You and your gym buddy will inevitably have "off" days. Unfortunately, sometimes those days may not coincide with each other. So sometimes a partner workout may be tense or near implausible.
... The Choice is Yours
Well, those are my musings on the topic. Some of us work better alone and some of us need a buddy. Sometimes we all need a buddy, really. But it's always up to you.
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