The Benefits of ‘Social Exercising’

We all have different preferences when it comes to exercise, some prefer to workout solo in a gym or lap swimming, whereas others enjoy the social interaction of group exercise or small group training.  

Whether you joined a gym with a friend or have made friends along the way, the benefits of working out with other people can be really important. It’s proven to be great for your mental health as well as your physical health, here are just some of the benefits that working out with others can bring:  

1. Accountability 

Exercising with your friend helps to keep you on track if you’re working towards a goal as you support each other to push further and make sure you keep to training schedules. We don’t like letting others down and therefore we’re more likely to do exercise even when we’re feeling like we can’t be bothered. We find that members who train with friends reach goals quicker and maintain momentum with their exercise. On those cold mornings it can be hard to get out of bed, but when you’ve committed to meeting a friend or workout buddy – then you make the effort to be there!  

2. Community  

As humans we love to feel like we belong and meeting like-minded people provides us with a sense of connection. At PARC many of our members love to meet new people and find casual friendships from the familiar faces they see each time they visit. Many friendships have formed from conversation during a group exercise class! When you join PARC you join our community and the PARC Fam!     

3. Motivation 

Training with a friend is a great motivator to keep going and to push yourself just that little bit harder, particularly with their encouragement. A positive training partner can completely shift your mindset by supporting you through the exercise and get your endorphins flowing quicker! You can also get even more out of your exercise with a bit of friendly competition between you.  

4. Enjoyment 

We thrive on social connection and exercising with a friend can make the whole experience just more enjoyable. Spending time together at the gym or in a group exercise class can be the perfect opportunity to catch up, particularly if you extend your session with a coffee at our Café, sometimes it’s just as much about the reward afterwards. Connecting with friends is great for our mood and energy levels ensuring we get the most out of every training session.  

At PARC, we’re about to launch our next 8 Week Challenge, which is part of our small group training membership. This membership was created due to the feedback we had about the social enjoyment of the challenges. Working out in a small group together our members formed friendships and attributed most of their successes to the community support they received throughout the challenge and wanted to continue this all year around.  

It’s not too late to reinvigorate your commitment to a Year of Health with our next 8 Week Challenge, which starts on Monday 2 May and is included for FREE as part of our Small Group Training Membership, available to PARC Full Access members at $28 per week.  

Complete the form on our website and one of our team will be in touch, or send us an email at sgpt@peninsulaleisure.com.au.