3 REASONS TO WORK OUT WITH A FRIEND STAY ACCOUNTABLE WITH THE BUDDY SYSTEM
When you work out alone, it can be tempting to cut corners and get comfortable. After all, if you cheat on a pullup or don’t swing that kettlebell as high as you should, who will know? That’s where a workout buddy comes in. Here are three ways hitting the gym with a friend can make your workouts safer and more effective — and a lot more fun!
shape than you, the drive to close the gap between your capabilities can be a big motivating factor.
Psychologists call this mental push to avoid being the weak link the “Köhler effect.” In small groups, those who begin weaker often push themselves to improve the most. Why not put this psychological phenomenon to work for you?
ENSURE PROPER FORM
STAY ACCOUNTABLE
When you don’t perform an exercise correctly, you may not even be working the right muscles, which makes all of your hard work pointless. At best, you’ll cheat yourself out of the full benefits of your workout. At worst, you risk injury. By working out with someone else, you can spot one another and keep an eye out for lapses in form. You and your partner can keep each other honest, ensuring your routine stays safe and effective.
The most valuable reason to have a workout buddy is accountability. Just having a dedicated person to ask you if you’ve met your fitness goals can have a significant impact on how regularly you exercise. In fact, something as simple as a bimonthly check-in has been shown to help people increase the amount of time they spend working out. A Stanford University study on the impact of social support on physical activity found that an occasional check-in boosted test subjects’ workout times by an average of 78 percent. This is part of a growing body of research that suggests positive social support may be a key factor in motivation. Even if you can’t actually exercise alongside your workout buddy, just checking in on one another’s goals can make a huge difference.
GET A LITTLE COMPETITIVE
Whether you make your workouts explicitly competitive or not, working out with someone is a great way to subconsciously push yourself to improve. Even if your partner is stronger, faster, or in better
PILATES AND PHYSICAL THERAPY STAYING FIT WHILE YOU RECOVER
What do athletes, dancers, and those at various stages of physical rehabilitation have in common? Many of them are helped by and love to do Pilates. Not only does this popular exercise method scale to a wide range of athletic ability, it can also work hand in hand with physical therapy treatments. That’s because Pilates builds on many of the core elements of rehabilitation.
holistic approach. The method does this by emphasizing accuracy and precision in movement. Pilates isn’t about how many reps you can do or how many pounds you can lift. It’s about moving and stretching with confidence.
ADAPTABILITY
BALANCE AND COORDINATION
Because Pilates doesn’t set thresholds for physical performance, it is a highly adaptable exercise method that can be scaled and modified to meet an individual’s rehabilitation needs. That’s why many health care providers introduce specialized Pilates exercises into their rehabilitation programs. Workouts can be tailored to your individual needs, ensuring a safe and effective workout. Along with these benefits, there’s the simple fact that Pilates is a fun, effective way for folks to get and stay in shape. That’s why M3 PT utilizes a Pilates-based approach to rehabilitation for those in our community who want to maintain and improve their well-being. To learn more about our Pilates Treatment and Wellness Programs, give us a call and find out if working with one of our Pilates experts would be the right fit for you!
Research suggests that Pilates can help improve balance and overall coordination. The diverse range of exercises work to help retrain your body parts to work in tandem in a variety of ways. Furthermore, Pilates works to strengthen your hip and leg joints, which are key for your body’s stability.
WHOLE-BODY TRAINING
Pilates is different from many exercises in that it does not isolate muscle groups but instead takes a
2 | WWW.M3PT.COM
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker