4 Tips for Choosing a Dream Workout Partner

Conde Nast Digital Studio

Nora Zelevansky, SELF magazine

My husband and I recently started Cool Running's 9-week conditioning app, Couch-To-5K.  Three days a week, we jog around our neighborhood.  Despite my grumpy morning mood, I've noticed something: We never miss a workout.

Past research -- like a 2009 Penn Medicine study -- has shown that having partners in exercise can increase weight loss.  And, more recently, a May 2011 Michigan State University study found that even virtual workout buddies with superior ability increased motivation -- the relevant subjects held postures for 24% longer!

Related: How Jennifer Hudson Lost 80 Pounds

Clearly, sometimes it takes two to make a thing go right.  Still, it's important to choose the right partner for your particular exercise level and regimen.  Keep the following attributes in mind, when choosing your workout buddy:

1. Exercise Type:
According to the Running Doc, Lewis G. Maharam, MD, whether or not someone prefers a partner is individual, but is also largely dictated by activity.  For instance, while many runners prefer to insert ear buds and exercise solo, a partner may be considered more useful in other arenas:  "If you're doing weight work or cross-training in the gym, it's good to have a partner to spot," explains Maharam.  "Also, the most common cause of injuries is bad form, which can be hard to determine for yourself.  So it's good to have someone else who can check your position."  The same goes for yoga and Pilates.
 
2. Fitness Level:
Look for a buddy whose fitness level is in the same stratosphere as your own.  "It's really hard to exercise with someone who is light years ahead of or behind you.  The danger is that you'll end up either doing too much or too little," says Maharam.  "For instance, runners use pace as a guide, when looking for partners. You don't want to go out and run a marathon the first day."

See Also: Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
 
3. Skill Level:
That said, for new exercisers or even regular exercisers who are trying a new sport or activity, a bit of experience can go a long way in a partner.  "If you're going to play tennis for the first time, for example, you want someone around who already plays and may be able to help you find your swing," the doctor recommends.  Just make sure that more skilled person is still feeling stimulated.

4. Relationship:
Generally, any friend or acquaintance will do, as long as there's some sense of camaraderie.  "You can't back out, if you've committed to say a 3 mile training run with another person," says Maharam. Research shows that exercise enhances your sex life, so working out with a significant other can only be good!
  
American Council on Exercise or ACE-certified personal trainer, group class instructor, exercise physiologist and in-house Certification Director, Jessica Matthews sees benefits to exercising with another person: "Working out with a partner has some of the same benefits as working out with a personal trainer -- it provides that extra motivation and incentive, an accountability factor."

The best part of having a workout buddy?  There's someone to fist pump when you're all done.