Relationships September 18, 2016
At the sound of Justin Timberlake singing, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” as your phone alarms, you can’t help but groan. It’s 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning – thirty minutes before your aerobics class at the gym. But you’re still feeling the burn from your weekly Friday night out with the girls … so you decide that weekends are for catching up on your beauty sleep anyway.
Sound familiar? Then you might want to consider replacing your girls’ nights with morning workouts – and reap these four awesome health benefits!
After studying 1,000 women, researchers in a recent study by Virgin Active discovered that women who exercised with friends – versus working out alone – burned more calories, trained longer and used their gym more regularly. If you’re trying to lose weight, the 236 calories friends burn together versus the 195 burned by lone exercises might be your secret weapon. Not to mention gym sessions last longer – 42 minutes versus 30 – which means you have more time to chat and gossip about the latest episode of “Mr. Robot”.
Exercising with company doesn’t just burn more calories – it melts away your stress too. According to Psychology Today, exercisers who stationary-biked with a friend felt “more calm” than those who worked out alone. Worried you’ll be too out of breath to talk? Don’t sweat it (pun intended)! The mere presence of a partner can still give you plenty of stress-free vibes.
When was the last time you promised you’d make it to the gym that day … and ended up watching Netflix, napping or wasting time on the Internet instead? ExperienceLife.com reports that workout buddies are the best way to make sure you actually use that gym membership you bought weeks ago. In fact, Indiana University found that couples who worked out at the gym separately had a 43 percent dropout rate while couples who sweat together boasted a 6.3 percent dropout rate.
Remember those hours you’ve spent with friends just doing nothing, but still having a blast? That same ability to make any activity fun applies to exercise! In a recent study by the University of Southern California, researchers found that people who exercised with friends or family reported feeling happier and enjoying the exercise more. Who knew that squats could make you smile – as long as you aren’t squatting alone that is!
So the next time your girlfriends want to get together, try throwing on a pair of sneakers instead of walking in high heels. Your body – and your social calendar – will thank you!
