The Benefits of Not Exercising Alone

Exercising alone can be boring, not fun, and sometimes too easy. When things aren’t fun we tend to stop doing them. When we get bored, we find something else to do. When things get difficult, we tend to give up. All of these tendencies cause higher rates of failure for people who exercise alone. By exercising with a trainer, friend, teammate, or even a family member, you’re taking a huge step into reaching your goals.

 The Harder You Work, The Better Your Results

Even though you may feel like you’re pushing yourself, you might not be giving everything you have. Most people don’t have the ability to push past that wall of discomfort that comes when you’re reaching the point of momentary muscular failure. As trainers, we’re qualified to help guide our clients past that point, which is why you get better results working with a trainer than alone. Momentary muscular failure is the point at which your muscles can no longer produce enough force to overcome the resistance. Many people won’t even reach this point at all, because of the discomfort that they feel and their own nervousness about their limitations. However, it’s crucial to reach the point of muscle failure—that’s the only thing that will trigger your muscles to adapt and grow stronger. If you stop just before this point, you’ll be exercising, but you won’t be seeing any results.

Reach Your Goals Together

Everyone has goals. One way to make a goal more achievable is by having someone there to help you achieve it! We’re capable of a lot more than we think we are. Former President Barack Obama said it best: “Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy”. Goals aren’t easy to achieve, but they certainly are achievable.

Is living a long and healthy life worth something to you? It’s a goal, and it’s certainly achievable. Is losing 20 pounds worth something to you? Then that’s a goal, and it’s achievable. Goals are hard work, so don’t do it alone. Find someone in your life that can help motivate you towards achieving your goals. Exercising with a friend or family member is a great motivational factor. Going through a tough workout is a lot easier when you’ve got a friend there to talk to and stay positive with. Think about it as if you’re on the same team with your workout partner–you’re both working out towards that same goal together. This will propel you forward and give you the courage to achieve your goal.

As trainers, at Vertex Fitness we motivate our clients by being there for them and keeping them upbeat and encouraged throughout the entire workout. Exercise is tough, and we need to make sure that we are getting the most from our clients. We keep them accountable by having a schedule that they abide by and stick to. Positive feedback and good vibes go a long way.