Are you more likely to exercise if doing so with a friend or family member?
For the past two weeks, I’ve gotten up extra early (4:30) so that I can leave work a bit earlier to exercise with a coworker* in the office gym. I’ve looked forward to these days so far. Yeah, it’s a hassle to wake up earlier, take a gym bag, shower at work, and get home more than an hour later, but it’s a fun detour from my normal schedule. It’s something different. And it’s fun to chat while working out.
This coworker is also participating in the Biggest Loser Challenge. She was telling me that she hasn’t been successful, so I suggested we exercise together once a week, and surprisingly… she agreed. This made me think, maybe SHE is the type of person who is more likely to work out if she is doing it with someone else.
I think I’m different. I start by doing it for me. I’ll always be doing it for me. Seeing someone else work out isn’t going to make me do it. Steven worked out during the entire holiday season and I would just look at him and think, “Meh!” then go back to wrapping presents and eating sugar cookies.
I am more likely to meet someone to work out if I’ve already promised I would, but I wouldn’t be making that promise if I wasn’t already invested in exercise. Does that make sense? I need to make the commitment to ME, not to someone else.
I think other people may be different though. Are you?
Nope. I have had experiences in the past where I was “meeting a friend” to workout. If I waited for them to show up, they took forever and I got really mad (waiting is a pet peeve), and if I started without them they had a hissy fit about me not being respectful as a friend. With Hubby? Thought I was going to have to drop a dumbbell on his head. I’m there to workout. That’s it. It’s not about friendship or marriage, it’s about getting this done – or getting out of my way.
I’m a much nicer person, aside from that though. I swear.
Katie and I always do better working out together. Cardio becomes a bit of a competition between us and we, as a result, wind up going farther than we would working out alone.
Weights, on the other hand, can be difficult. There’s a bit of a difference between us in amount lifted so shifting the pins or free weights around between each set becomes a bit of a hassle.
Kyra – So I just need to remember to stay away from you in the gym? 😛 I am sort of the same way – I hate waiting. Poor Steven knows that. I was such a bitch to him last weekend because he wasn’t ready to run when I was.
kapgar – Steven and I do like to push each other – when it’s within reason. But sometimes I have to let him go ahead, because he is just faster than me 😉
I think I’m more like you. I have to commit to myself first before committing to someone else. All the gym buddies I’ve ever had have crapped out on me too. Lame.
I actually prefer to exercise alone. Or with my kids. I will meet someone at the gym if I am already going, but I wouldn’t go BECAUSE I was meeting someone there. Although it is way more fun to run with someone than alone if it is the right person.
Mica – That is my worry – if I ask a girlfriend to meet me in the gym, she’ll just flake out.
tori – I think your comment made me realize that I am even more anti-social than I thought. If I ran into someone at the gym, I may or may not be excited to see them there – if I feel like I HAVE to talk to them and adjust my workout because they are there. So I guess, I have to plan to go with someone 🙂
It depends. Outside, I prefer running alone. But I like running next to E.on the treadmill b/c he can’t get farther than me. Hee.
I am more apt to weight train if I’ve made the commitment to meet E.at the gym, but we do our own thing aside from stretching and abs.
In college, though, my friend Karen and I went to the gym together every day. But we had a helluva lot more time back then and I didn’t have to work very hard to be skinny!
I enjoy working out with my mom, but have yet to meet anyone else that I want to work out with – even my husband! It was great living at home during college because going to the gym every morning with my mom was extra motivation and fun. We work out separately, there are very few things more annoying than two women next to each other at the gym chatting up a storm while “working out” (quotes because, really, if you can talk non stop you’re not working out hard enough), but it was nice to have someone there.
I find it more motivational and fun to exercise with a friend. It is easier to chat away the sweat.
No, LOL 🙂 I don’t mean that I mean to other folks in the gym. I’m not. But when I’m partnered, I hear a lot of things and the inevitable comparisons. It got a lot worse when I figured out how freakishly strong my legs are, and having other women say “*gasp*! You don’t want to leg press 620 lbs! You’ll…. you’ll be like a GUY! You’ll be ugly!” blah blah blah.
I got pretty strong with my upper body too, and once I started benching over 150, people just annoyed the heck out of me with rude comments – strangers are easier to ignore than your workout partner, and when your partner is making those comments, or whining about doing a whole set? Yeah, I sort of lose my patience. Not to mention I can’t even believe the number of partners over the years who just like to quit in the middle of things “I think I’ll only run 2 miles today, instead of the 3 that was planned. Why do another set of weights? I’m not in the mood” and then they want to leave early.
I’m much better on my own schedule, my own plan, and not dependent on someone else’s whim in any sense. I don’t mean to be a witch, but in the gym I have a goal. Lots of other people just see it as social hour and it doesn’t count for much.
I agree you need to commit to the workout for yourself, but it is nice to have someone else to workout/run with once in a while. You need to change things up to break the monotony and its easy to fall into a rut. Your partner can also provide encouragement when you aren’t really in the mood. You can support & encourage each other when the other is not felling it.
I often wish I could find someone to run longer runs with on the weekend. I occasionally run with my wife, but we don’t run at the same pace. Even at a different pace it is nice to change things up once in a while. You can always give it a try and if it doesn’t work out walk away from it.
My husband and I run together, which is great and often one of us will motivate the other if that person is not feeling it.
It does kind of guilt me into not disappointing someone if I am supposed to work out with someone. I am more likely to show up. But sometimes something in me just clicks and I LIKE having it be just me exercising. It’s a good time to sort out my messy head.
oh man, i am SO your coworker. i do SO MUCH BETTER if i have a commitment to someone else – a friend, a sports team, anything – and will let THEM down and not just myself. it’s far easier to come up with excuses if i’m only letting myself down ;-P
I actually do WORSE if I make a plan. I hate the pressure of plans. I am a horrible friend. That is why I am a decent blog friend, I will show up, but on my TIME. I like to workout by myself. The only exception is with my husband. We don’t workout together at all, but I like being at the gym the same time he is. He is adorable and always makes sure I have water from home (we get bottled water delivered that is the best water ever) and winks at me from across the weight machines.
I don’t need another person to motivate me and I’ve found that the few times I have met someone at the gym or gone to the gym with someone else that I don’t want to talk to them anyway. We each do our own thing. It’s especially difficult if you’re at a different fitness stage or have different goals. I did run with a group for awhile and that was fun when I was a beginner. But I’ve never done a long serious run with someone else (yet) so I have no idea if I would enjoy it or just be irritated by feeling as though I had to make conversation.
um, there wasn’t a i’m still trying to like working out option?!?! it’s easier for me to get motivated if i work out with someone though… like if i know that dc and i are going to go work out i won’t come up with some excuse not to go like i would if i was just going to go by myself… i suck at working out!!!
=^..^=
I enjoy the company when exercising and sometimes I need the extra motivation by having someone else to answer to. However, sometimes I like to be by myself, to enjoy the music that’s playing, to think, to enjoy the outdoors. Without someone talking to me. And it also depends on who I’m exercising with.
When my wife and I joined Bally’s in April 2007, we both wanted to motivate ourselves. I kept going and she stopped after a few months. Then my gym visits got more sporadic.
So yes, it helped to have someone to work out with, but I think I do like to self-pace myself. Although, if someone wanted to work out with me and it helped me keep a regular schedule, I think I’d adapt to that pretty quick.
I am more inclined to exercise if I have a peer group that expects me to show up for a class or even just show up regularly at the gym.
I don’t think I’m likely to exercise either way. LOL. I wasn’t raised exercising, I don’t enjoy it, for now I don’t feel like I “need” to…running around with the kids at school suits me just fine, thanks 😉
I work out better alone. I guess I like to push myself a lot, and sometimes I feel when I’m with others they don’t push as hard and I don’t get as good of a workout.
I need to workout for me first to get motivated. If it’s not for me, then it’s not real.
I did cardio with a friend for a few months last year and found that I didn’t push myself hard enough because we were chatting while we were on the machines. I prefer to get on there, stick in my headphones and go for it. My time, my space.
It is nice to workout with someone sometimes, but overall, this is about me first.
I need the accountability of meeting someone, but truthfully I like to workout alone. Me and my tunes. Plus I can go much faster without talking. But I’m too quick to blow it off if I’m not meeting someone. Such a quandry! 🙂