Home
Blog
Contact
Everybody likes alone time, but some people go to extremes. Like Laura Dekker, the 14-year-old Dutch girl who last week embarked on a trip to sail solo around the world. Or publicity hungry illusionist David Blaine, most famous for being sealed inside of a transparent Plexiglas case in London, 30 feet in the air, for 44 days. His stunt, shown in today's picture, drew large crowds of spectators that apparently threw eggs, lemons, sausages, bacon, beer cans and even paint-filled balloons. Sigh...why does that thought makes me snicker like a 12-year-old boy watching an episode of Family Guy?
But I digress. The point is that some people prefer to be alone, while others are fueled by social contact. And the same is certainly true when it comes to working out. Personally, I burn a lot more calories in the front row of an intense spin class than I do on a recumbent bike. Taking a walk with friends on vacation is a wonderful way to start the day. But while I’m always up for a quick hello between weight training sets, there are limits. Like don’t try to engage in a full scale conversation while I’m communing with an elliptical machine, iPod at full blast. Guess that’s because I view exercise as vital “me” time to deal with issues and stress while toning my body.
I have interviewed a number of long-term weight loss maintainers who credit their success to having another person to sweat with. For example, Laina Worth from Indianapolis has maintained a 200 pound weight loss for more than six years. When she put some weight back on, having her fiancée join workouts and a healthy eating regime helped make the scale lighter again.
How about you? Do you like to exercise with friends, your partner, your kids… or is exercise best when you're by yourself?
Home
Blog
Contact
I love having someone to exercise with! I totally agree about classes. And now my husband has slowly become my regular workout partner which I am loving. I will work harder and longer with company:)
Karen, I thought about how you and your hubby ride bikes together when I wrote this post.
It depends on my mood and the activity. I love walking with friends & family, but prefer to either run alone or with good conversationalists.
Or sometimes it's nice to run or workout with long-time friends or my mate, because then we can also be comfortable with silence. (Sometimes too much talking on the trail can be distracting, particularly if you're running because you want to seriously focus on your training.) I also did track & field in high school but that's not really as much of a true team sport, even though meets & practices are done with the whole group. The exception to that would be relays, because you do that as a team & it requires a real coordination of efforts.
Hiking is a great in a group setting because you get the chance to socialize and also get a great workout in the process. I also used to play a lot of team sports (basketball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, etc.), and there's definitely value and enjoyment in that as well.
When I do cardio at the gym I put on the tv and listen with head phones. My social part is weight training with my trainer Elizabeth, we talk about life etc., I`m working out doing what I`m suppose to do but yet relaxed.
Whether I work out solo or with a friend depends on the workout and what kind of mood I'm in. I love taking walks with friends or my sisters because it's easy to walk and chat. If I'm doing something more intense like running or the elliptical, it's just me and my iPod baby! Swimming laps gives me time to think and unwind on days when I'm really stressed. Something about being under water helps me be alone with my thoughts and nobody can interrupt me! I love the occasional group fitness class (ZUMBA and body pump) or workout video as well. Seeing someone else push himself or herself inspires me to do exercises I would never do otherwise and work harder!
Whether I workout with someone else or solo, I love telling other people about what I did, especially when I pushed myself to do something different or run/swim more than usual. It's good accountability for me to know that my husband will ask me how my workout was that day!
I get bored to death exercising alone, and, ultimately, never get as good of a work out. In fact, 2 years ago I quit my gym when I realized there was a group of people playing ultimate frisbee several days a week at a local park, and I havent looked back.
I also think it is much harder to keep up a routine when you are going it alone. I mean, it's pretty unlikely I would've gotten up in the snow and 20 degree weather this winter to go for a run, but with a bunch of people relying upon me to show for a game, what choice do I have? And I never regret it. If the experience is freezing and painful and I nearly get frost-bitten, well, that's just gives me bragging rights!
I love the camaraderie of my CrossFit group as well as my step class...and nothing beats walking with a good friend! Now that I'm pregnant, I love Oh Baby! fitness classes - so fun to bond with other women who are in the same boat! BUT -- nothing beats a good solo power walk every now and then to clear out the brain.
Even though I no longer have to get up at the crack of dawn because I am not working, I still go to my 6AM spin class. My close friend Pat saves me a bike and we spin side by side as we have done for many years now. I know that if I turn off my alarm and go back to sleep, I will disappoint her and I will feel better for working out like a demon and also for getting it out of the way for the rest of the day. The time is both social and good for my body and mind.