“
Research has
shown that if we
exercise together,
we train longer
and work out
more often
than our solo
counterparts
”
Buddy up for fitness success
JANE ALEXANDER
Our holistic hero on motivation
So there I was, running up a hill, a steep hill, carrying a heavy weighted
ball. Now I don’t do running and I certainly don’t do running up
hills. So how come I did it, not just once, but again and again?
Quite simply, I had a team cheering me on.
When it comes to exercise, we really are tribal beasts. We rise
to a challenge when we’re surrounded by other people whether it’s
having a gym buddy to stop us wimping out of Monday morning
workouts or going for the burn on a tough spin class.
Research has shown that if we exercise together, we train longer
and work out more often than our solo counterparts. We also burn
more calories; 236 for group workouts compared to 195 for the
single brigade.
I know very well that if I go to the gym on my own, I just
sit on the bike, barely working up a sweat, focused on my book
rather than my heartrate. But at the Target Human Performance
fitness holiday I was on (targethp.com), there was no chance of
slacking. It was all for one and one for all with tough bouts of
team circuits.
I really baulked at first. I have a horror of team sports that verges
on the paranoid. You only need to say the word ‘team’ to give me
flashbacks to the humiliation of always being picked last for rounders
at school (I have a habit of falling over when I run).
“Just give it a go,” said the trainers. My team nodded
encouragingly: “We won’t mind if you fall over,” said one. “Just get up
quickly, okay?” added another with a grin. So I tried and, you know
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what, I did it and, what’s more, it was huge fun. I did fall over but
then, so did a guy on the men’s team (we were playing women
versus men so there was gender pride at stake here as well).
It didn’t stop there. I rowed like a demon with a gang of people
whooping me on, and I held my plank for a full minute more than
I would normally without encouragement.
It’s why personal training is so effective of course and, money no
object, I’d definitely have a trainer (those guys at Target are damn
good!). But, if you can’t run to individual sessions, you can still use
that tribal motivation. Here’s how:
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Lots of gyms and fitness centres have group circuit classes.
Check for those that do HIIT (high intensity interval training).
Look for group classes like Zumba where you get carried along with great music and the enthusiasm of the class. Don’t lurk at the back get up front and feed off the energy of the keen brigade!
Get a group of friends and car-share to the gym or classes you won’t want to let the rest down.
Which sports did you enjoy at school? Find a local netball,
hockey, football team and sign up. Grown-up sport is really
sociable too so it’s a win-win.
Jane Alexander is the author of Wellbeing & Mindfulness,
The Energy Secret, The Weekend Healer and many other
wellbeing titles. See her Amazon author page.