In my years as a trainer I have noticed a few things. Shocker eh? One thing that stands out time and again, is that people who work out with their friends have a good time. And I don’t just mean a “pleasant” time, but a gut-laughing, knee slapping, sometimes pee your pants (not mentioning any names…) GOOD TIME! When I train friends or groups I am constantly amused at how fast the hour goes by, and how much fun the friends are having. Don’t get me wrong..when its time to drop the hammer and train…we train. But, in the meantime…friendships are strengthened, women are encouraged, stories are told, and best friends are challenged to be more, do more than they thought possible!
- Accountability – When my kids were little, we lived in Reno, NV for a season. When my work visa didn’t get approved at the border on our move down, I became a stay-at-home mom. In order to fit exercise into my day with the little ones, my only option was to wake up at 5am, hit the gym and be home by 7am. “Put a gun to my head!”, said the woman who loves her sleep. At any rate, I started carpooling with my friend Shelly. There were so many mornings I couldn’t have wanted to do anything less than to get up at that hour and go exercise. But, when my friend was counting on me to pick her up, or when I knew she was sitting in my driveway waiting for me to join her, I didn’t want to let her down! I love seeing that accountability among my friends and clients here in Kelowna! When one doesn’t feel like it, inevitably the other one is pumped and can spread her energy and enthusiasm.
- Competition -Ahhh, the spirit of competition. Brings out the best in all of us, doesn’t it? I wish I had some videos to show here of my clients and friends whom I have heard say, “I’m not competitive”, and then push their hardest, to the point of puking, to beat their partner when I say GO! I love a little friendly competition. Again, it can challenge us to do more than we thought possible. I am training a group of women for Femsport right now. I love timing them! They want to beat their time, they want to beat their friend’s time. But the beauty of racing a friend, is that she will still high five you at the end of the race and say “Great Job”! Exercising with someone who is a little further along than you are is beneficial as well! My client Leslie started running with a gazelle (ok, well, just a taller woman with very long legs!). At first she found it challenging to keep up, but then after a few weeks of really pushing herself, she felt confident in her runs. The two have since added a newbie runner to their morning exercise, who is now inspired and challenged by Leslie’s ability! Isn’t that great?! She has become the inspiration. This leads me to my last reason to work out with friends.
3. Inspiration – As you can see in the picture above, my new catch phrase these days is #movedaily. For our health and wellness, moving daily is critical. When I exercise with friends, I am so inspired by their own dedication to this concept, that it makes me want to set this as a priority for the rest of my life. I have been very fortunate over the years to have some amazing workout partners. Women who have challenged me, taught me, and encouraged me along the way. They have kept me on track and their commitment to moving daily is not only an inspiration to me, but to so many others around them. So hats off to Judy Dueck, Terina Terrill, Leslie Keats and Jenny Shannon for being an amazing inspiration to me.
So, bottom line, find a group of friends, or even just one and get out there and #movedaily.
