Team up with your girlfriends to exercise and you'll see better results faster.
Winter has finally hit which means it's harder to get motivated enough to get out of bed and exercise. But a UK survey has found working out with friends can help you lose weight and reach your fitness goals.
The survey of 3000 women, commissioned by UK car insurance company Diamond, found that women who train with their girlfriends shed more than 4.5kg on average as opposed to just half a kilogram by those who exercise alone..
The survey found 61 percent of those women said they found it hard to muster the energy to exercise alone, but they pushed themselves harder when exercising with a friend.
More than half of the women surveyed said exercising with a friend also improved their friendship.
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Sydney-based personal trainer Joel Costello told Health & Wellbeing there are benefits to working out with friends and it's a great way to stay motivated and shed those extra kilograms.
"If you want to gain amazing health and fitness results, I really encourage that you have a great circle of influence — be it your best friend or a family member," Costello said.
"These people know you best and are great at getting you energised. They always come through with encouragement in your weakest of moments and will forever help you reach your goals."
He said the greatest benefit of having a training buddy is it provides accountability. This means you will always keep your exercise levels up as your buddy is there to motivate you and vice versa.
Costello said training with a buddy also benefits you when socialising. He said women are more likely to slip up on alcohol consumption and eat bad foods at social gatherings.
But when a training partner is at the function both women are more inclined to opt for the healthiest dish on the menu, limit their sugar-high drinks and perhaps even prefer a non-alcoholic drink, Costello said. This is in contrast to being influenced into having a big night out by other friends who don't share your health and fitness goals.
"With your training buddy, you will find that the centre of most conversations will be about your nutrition, or your training and how you are progressing towards your goals," he said. "These constant touch points encourage massive focus and clarity and ensure that achieving your goals is absolutely possible."