Everyone knows that exercise is good for health. It helps you lose weight, sleep better, and feel happier. It can also help you live longer. In addition, exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer and prevent diabetes and osteoporosis. Exercising with friends can provide extra motivation and accountability, compounding the already substantial benefits of exercise.

Despite knowing all these benefits, sometimes we don’t feel like starting it. We always seek motivation for almost everything in our lives. For example, some people take gym memberships because going to the gym is a better motivation than trying to work out at home.

Having a workout friend is one of the best ways to motivate. Apart from motivation, there are many other reasons why exercising with friends is beneficial.

1. Exercising with friends is an excellent way to stay motivated

Motivation is the key to success in exercising, and having a friend by your side can help you stay motivated.

If the two of you are working out at the same time, you have more opportunities to motivate each other. For example, if one of you starts slacking off or losing interest in their workout plan, someone else can encourage them to keep going.

Staying motivated and not giving up when things get tough can be challenging when working out independently. Having a friend with whom you regularly exercise will ensure that neither happens. The two of you are more likely to stick with your exercise routine than if one person was working out alone.

2. You are more accountable when exercising with a friend

Some people always exercise with a friend.

They believe exercising in pairs or groups can achieve better results than exercising alone. This is because they push each other to stay consistent and on track. In addition, the accountability created from being in a group often leads to an overall better experience, ultimately leading to better results.

3. There is someone to talk to if you exercise with friends

Exercising with a friend is great because you have someone to talk to while working out.

You can tell them how sore your muscles are or how much weight you’ve lifted, and they’ll probably be able to advise you on what’s worked for them in the past.

Some people even like doing their workouts together—especially if it’s like running or biking in nature. So, if this sounds fun, make sure that the person who wants to go with you has similar fitness goals, too!

If none of these options appeals to you (or if most do), there are plenty of online fitness groups where people can support each other by sharing their exercise experiences and tips online rather than in person at the gym or home alone.

4. It is more fun when exercising with a friend

If you are anything like me, exercising with friends will make working out feel more like a fun social event than work.

You can talk to each other while exercising, which makes the time fly by and helps break up the monotony of training. Plus, it’s much easier when you’re not alone!

5. Exercise is easier when you’re not alone

Exercise is easier when you’re not alone. That’s because exercising with a friend can help you and motivate each other. It’s much more fun to exercise if you have someone else to work out with, especially if that person is even more excited about it than you are! It may seem obvious, but having someone there can make all the difference in keeping your motivation and staying on track throughout your workout.

Encourage each other. Even if one person works out harder or longer than the other, they’ll have another person there who understands what they’re going through—and will be proud of them anyway! Plus, when friends encourage each other during their workouts, they’re less likely to give up so early on something like an extra-long run or an intense strength-training session.

Help each other by sharing tips and tricks to make exercise more efficient or effective.

6. You make new friends

Exercise is a great way to meet other people, and if you’re an avid exerciser, there’s a good chance that the kind of exercise you enjoy isn’t something everyone else does. But this can be a plus!

You might find new friends who share your running, hiking, or cycling hobbies. Or maybe you’ll meet someone who wants to go out for coffee after one of your workouts; whether it’s a friend or potential love interest, having someone to talk with after exercising is always lovely!

The Bottom Line

If you’re not exercising with a friend, then you should be.

Exercise is essential to your health but can also be tedious and exhausting.

Having someone else to work out with will make the experience more enjoyable while also helping you stay motivated throughout the process.

Team Up for Fitness Success: 6 Benefits of Partnering Up to Exercise With Friends