It is in our DNA to be surrounded by others
Partnering up with a close friend or family member can be extremely helpful in reaching our fitness goals.
The Benefits of Partnering Up For Your Workouts
Most of us know that working out has great health benefits—anything from losing unwanted body fat to increasing our longevity—and everything in between. Many who have entered into fitness regimens have proclaimed to have better vitality, improved mental health, and have achieved higher self-esteem. Having your body in good health can help you achieve better outcomes when fighting off illnesses. In a recent study published by the National Health Institute (NIH), less active people were at higher risk for severe COVID complications. A link to this study is listed below.
Some of us are fine exercising alone, while others prefer a workout partner. Some people are too shy to team up with a friend, spouse, or family member for a workout. But I say give it a try. Besides having an added accountability factor with a workout partner, you will also experience many fitness benefits!
MIT researchers concluded that exercise is socially contagious. In a study in which MIT observed over 1 million runners for 5 years, for a total of 270 million miles, novice and seasoned runners often extended their runs. Mainly due to the experience of “shared fitness goals”, and the strong influence they had over each other. Experiencing a runner’s high—a term used by many runners to describe a “feel-good” mood when they run, played a significant role. A runner’s high is due in part to the release of endorphin hormones. Which helps stimulate the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine which then causes this feel-good state. It essentially tells the brain: “Wow, this feels great, let’s keep doing it”!
The benefits of endorphins can also do wonders for couples in a relationship!
Exercising with your significant other can aid in experiencing other benefits, like nonverbal matching. According to Psychology Today, nonverbal matching helps couples feel connected at the same level with each other. This level of connection can greatly continue throughout the day. We can also experience this with our families. My wife and I along with our three children completed the 5K Rocky Balboa Run in Philadelphia, in November of 2023. It was a great family-oriented event. After we completed the Rocky Run the rest of the day was set for us, with awesome emotions. We finished our day with dinner and a Netflix movie at home. It was a wonderful day for the whole family.