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What are the Benefits of a Workout Partner?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

Having a workout partner can result in numerous benefits. While motivation is often the main benefit of having a person to exercise with, especially for someone who tends to procrastinate, there can be many other great rewards. These other benefits may include support, sociability and safety.

Whether it's walking around the neighborhood after the evening meal or cycling for the better part of a weekend, working out regularly with an exercise buddy can make the activity feel supportive. Each workout partner can encourage the other and praise his or her fitness efforts. Sharing a workout routine requires a commitment so the other person isn't let down by a cancellation. The ongoing support of a workout buddy relationship can help people take and give compliments as well as learn to be considerate of the needs of others.

Running with a partner is safer than running alone.
Running with a partner is safer than running alone.

Sociability is a major benefit of having an exercise partner for many people. Some people may work at a job with limited social interaction as well as have a limited amount of time to exercise. By exercising with a workout partner, the two needs can be met at the same time. People with similar activity preferences as well as time schedules can make ideal exercise partners. For example, two stay-at-home mothers with small children may decide to walk together around their neighborhood several afternoons a week while pushing their kids in strollers.

If none of your close friends enjoy working out, try taking a class at your local gym, and you are likely to find a workout partner there.
If none of your close friends enjoy working out, try taking a class at your local gym, and you are likely to find a workout partner there.

Members of a gym may choose the same days and times to work out so the chance they'll actually go to the facility is increased. Having a gym partner can serve as a good motivator to make use of one's membership. A more experienced gym workout partner may make a newer exerciser feel more comfortable about using unfamiliar weight machines. The skill levels of both partners should be fairly even though, or the more experienced person may not feel benefited by the workout partnership.

People often workout at the gym with a partner to keep themselves motivated.
People often workout at the gym with a partner to keep themselves motivated.

Having a running buddy can be very beneficial in terms of safety. While it should be made clear that running outdoors with another person doesn't mean that an attack by a stranger or being hit by a car can't happen, it does mean an extra set of eyes and ears. A running workout partner relationship should mean that both parties are as aware as possible about protecting their own and the other person's safety. Running on a well-populated jogging track during daylight with a partner is generally safer than working out alone outdoors in a secluded or dark environment.

Discussion Comments

Perdido

Swimming is a workout that you should always do with a partner. This greatly reduces your chance of drowning.

I know that severe cramps can cause even the best swimmer to drown in a few feet of water. You need to have someone there to pull you out if you cannot stand up or swim to shore.

My cousin and I go swimming in the local lake, and we agreed never to go alone. We like to swim out to the deep area, away from the little kids. There, we can have a wide range of motion without our feet scraping the bottom as we swim.

Oceana

I have no problem sticking to an exercise routine, but my husband is a procrastinator. He also hates situps, pushups, and lifting weights.

So, we came up with an alternate plan. We do various sports as partner workout exercises, and the fact that we are actually both having fun doing them motivates us to keep it up.

We both love playing badminton in our back yard. We also like riding bikes and roller skating, both of which we can do in our local park.

Every day that the weather permits, we will do one of these activities together. On rainy days, he doesn't exercise at all, but I still manage to do a few situps and lunges.

seag47

@cloudel – Jogging outdoors alone can be scary. I used to do this, and I actually had to use pepper spray to escape a guy once. That was the end of my jogging workout.

It can be hard to find a workout partner when you are single and all your friends are married with young children. They simply don't have time to workout with me.

So, I joined an aerobics class instead. I get to do the same workout as everyone else in the room, so there is a feeling of cohesiveness. It is also a safe environment, because the room is full of people.

I even made some new friends this way. If I ever do decide to take up outdoor exercising again, I will have a partner.

cloudel

My brother is my workout partner, and we jog together in the park after work. Having a male workout buddy comes in handy at times, because it discourages other men and potential criminals from approaching me.

We jog along a trail that runs through the forest in the park. One day, he had a leg cramp and lagged a little behind. As I was jogging up ahead alone, a man conspicuously dressed all in black came up to me and started to speak.

As soon as my brother jogged up, the man ran away quickly, so I'm sure his intentions were no good. Had my workout partner not been with me that day, I might have been kidnapped or murdered.

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    • Running with a partner is safer than running alone.
      By: Martinan
      Running with a partner is safer than running alone.
    • If none of your close friends enjoy working out, try taking a class at your local gym, and you are likely to find a workout partner there.
      By: william87
      If none of your close friends enjoy working out, try taking a class at your local gym, and you are likely to find a workout partner there.
    • People often workout at the gym with a partner to keep themselves motivated.
      By: imtmphoto
      People often workout at the gym with a partner to keep themselves motivated.