On Saturday afternoon my friend and I did a boot camp workout and even though I’ve done this workout on my own a few times already, no way did I ever workout as hard as I did with my friend. There really is something to that buddy system philosophy. Back in grammar school the buddy system kept you from being left behind, and as a grown-up that same system can help to keep you from falling behind on your workouts. Buddies are so great.
So my friend is a bit of a nut when it comes to exercising, she will always find the time to workout and she will always push herself harder and harder each time. (She easily puts me to shame sometimes!) We went through the workout circuit three times and on the last circuit we pushed ourselves so out of our comfort zones that the only thing left of us by the end were these heaving piles of sweat… and it was awesome!
No way would I have ever pushed myself that hard had I been home alone doing the same workout; that same motivation and drive just isn’t there when I’m alone. I’m not shouting out “5 more, we can do it” to myself. I mean I could but there is just that energy you get when you’re with someone else, who is going through what you’re going through. That’s why it’s so helpful to get out with a friend and go for a run, or do a boot camp, so you can cheer each other on and push each other outside your comfort zones. It’s awesome because you feed off of each other. You can celebrate your successes together, encourage each other and be accountable to each other. (That’s a biggie. Your friend won’t let you make excuses and will call you out if need be. Again… buddies are so great.) And you’ll laugh. Laughter helps to make the unbearable bearable.
Scientifically speaking, a study done by a team of scientists from the University of Oxford determined that working out with a buddy, or a group of buddies, helps your body to create even more endorphins (those feel-good hormones), compared to when you go it alone. So there.
What are you waiting for? If you need a little motivation to get your rear in gear, then call in the help of a good old buddy and make working out fun!
