We all know that physical activity goes a long way in promoting healthy aging, but many of us find it difficult to stick to an exercise routine on our own. Whatever exercise you choose to do will boost your overall health and wellness, but there is also a way that you can make your fitness routine even easier on yourself. Grab a friend, family member, or neighbor and sign them up to be your workout partner!
Exercising with a partner can help keep you motivated to exercise, stay safer while performing more advanced exercises, and help you socialize and interact with others.
The Pavilion Senior Living offers rehabilitation, skilled nursing care, and other senior living services in communities throughout Tennessee and West Virginia. We want to help you get the most out of your fitness routine, and that means enlisting a partner!
Have More Fun with a Partner
Half the battle of exercising is making yourself get up and do it. This is where exercising with a caregiver or friend works is super beneficial. When you are more focused on spending time with your partner, you think less about the actual exercise and are better able to enjoy the experience.
You and your friend can talk, catch up, and laugh your way through your workout, all while promoting healthy aging.
Form New Relationships
Just like physical activity, socialization is a crucial component of healthy aging. From simply taking a stroll through the park with a friend to joining in on a group exercise class at the gym, the socialization opportunities that physical activity provides are endless.
More Likely to Commit and Reach Your Goals
If you plan to go for a walk every morning on your own, it becomes too easy to find reasons why you “can’t do it” that day without feeling guilty. When you make plans with someone else, that person counts on you to show up and helps motivate you to stay active every day.
“Aside from reliably motivating you to show up to exercise, partnering up with a buddy increases the amount and intensity of physical activity you do, researchers have found. A study from Michigan State University, for one, found that doing aerobic exercise with a partner motivated subjects to work harder and longer, compared with those working out alone, thus improving overall fitness results (aarp.org).”
Work Harder to Achieve Your Health Goals
Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have a little competitiveness inside us. Even if we are trying to prove something to ourselves or to our peers, our friends know how to get under our skin and push us further than we think we can go.
“When you and your buddy encourage each other, you’ll work harder (and get better results!). And there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition (cdc.gov).”
Exercising with a Partner Promotes Safety
Like anything in life, working out and exercising can be dangerous if you do not use precautions. Take lifting weights, for example. Having a workout partner ready to spot you and support you is a great way to stay safe as you exercise. This safety mindset can be used in other types of exercise, too, like running/walking at night or swimming/water aerobics.
Find yourself a reliable workout partner with who you can take turns spotting and supporting.
Save Money When You Exercise with a Friend
Depending on what type of exercises you do, you may be able to save money by splitting the cost with your workout partner. You could consider splitting the price of a personal trainer, joining the same gym together, buying the materials and building an at-home gym, or save even more money by taking advantage of your surroundings and simply getting outside in nature.
Physical activity and exercise are so important to healthy aging, but this does not mean that it always has to be high intensity. Finding the right intensity level and activity for you is the key to creating a long-term fitness plan that helps you achieve your goals. At The Pavilion Senior Living, we are committed to improving the quality of life of those we serve through a variety of lifestyle options.
Through our senior living services, we encourage residents to lead active, purposeful lifestyles within our communities while receiving the care and support they need. To learn more about our care services and what life is like in one of our communities, we invite you to contact a member of our senior living team or visit our website.
