Ever wondered how a team of unknown soccer players can defeat a team packed with superstars? Or why tennis doubles players look like they’re having so much more fun?
The secret is standing right beside them – there’s performance power in numbers.
Sports psychology researcher John S. Raglin studied people who joined a fitness program either solo or with their spouse. After 12 months, the couples had a 90 percent adherence rate, compared to just 50 percent for those going it alone.
They didn’t need to be doing the exact same training, either. Simply exercising together at the same time and place was enough.
If you’re looking for an edge, here are 5 more research-backed reasons to find yourself a workout partner.
1. Make it stick. Round up your posse, because it’s not just couples who are less likely to let a fitness kick fizzle out. A study that followed older adults for 14 years found that people who did group exercise maintained their overall fitness for longer than those who worked out alone. This backs up research that shows people who do social workouts are more likely to maintain their routine.
2. The buddy boost. You’ve heard about (and probably experienced) the mental health benefits of exercise. But did you know that evidence shows working out with a buddy can supercharge these benefits? One study found that exercising with other people leads to a 26 percent higher reduction in stress than working out solo.
3. All gain, less pain. If you’re aiming for the next level of performance, make sure there’s someone else along for the ride. A study found that people who warmed up with a teammate performed better on an endurance test than those who warmed up solo. What was it that helped them stay stronger for longer? Researchers believe it may have something to do with the ability of social bonding to increase our pain threshold.
4. There’s confidence in numbers. Extensive research has found that young people who participate in group sports have better self-esteem, lower social anxiety, lower risk of depression and are happier about their bodies.
5. More fun. The inspiration for our very first Centr workout program, Centr 6, was the group training Chris Hemsworth enjoyed with his friends. “I always have so much fun training with a group. Everyone gets results, everyone feels stronger and everyone has a great time,” he says. And we’re all more likely to say yes if there’s fun involved, right?
