Do you go to the gym alone, or with a friend?
If you go with a friend, you may get more out of your time than you would if you went alone, studies have shown.
You’ll be less likely to cancel if a friend is meeting you at that spinning class — and you might find yourself competing against them once you get there.
The effects of a partner were on display in a 2012 study spotted by The Atlantic. A group of college women rode an exercise bike first by themselves then alongside a video of another woman on a bike, who they were told was able to ride longer. With the video “partner” who never tired, the women rode more than 86 percent longer. When they were told they were riding on a team whose score would depend on the person who rode for the shortest period of time, the women rode more than 100 percent longer.
Don’t have anyone to work out with? A few different gym partner match-making apps have cropped up, like Gym Comrade, Fitspur or WellSquad, which actually uses an algorithm to match you with your gym buddy.
