Why should you have a workout buddy?

Workout buddies. Training partners. Exercise friends.

If you've ever been to a gym, you've probably had one of the above at one point in time.But why? Well, we're social beings and working out can be painful (the right pain, that is) so why not share the hurt with a comrade? Also, you're both working towards a common goal and that's motivating. Accountability is another reason. You can always count on a good friend to call you out when you're slacking.

All over the world there has been a plethora of group training classes that have started and people have had incredible results from taking them. But what's the difference from working out alone to working out in a group? Let's take a look at a study that Oxford's Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology did of the university's famed rowing team. The study showed that the rowers were given identical workouts to do alone and in a group. Their endorphin levels (feel good hormones) were twice as high in the group test. That raised their pain threshold making them able to work longer than when they did the workouts alone.

So maybe that extra push and motivation you've been needing is waiting for you in a group class? Find a class. Bring a friend. Bring a co-worker. Bring your mom. Have some fun and go get your sweat on!

Eric Pena, CPT, Gold's Gyms of Wenatchee Valley