Benefits of Working Out with Spouse or Friend

I posted this picture on Instagram after our 21-mile ride last night. And it sort of got me to thinking about how lucky I am that my spouse does exercise and we can work out together.

Poor Jason had to duck down to take this so I didn't cut his head off

When we belonged to a gym, we would sometimes go up there together. Maybe do spin class together. We never did weights together though. When I first started running outside, we always ran together. But now? Maybe once a week for 3-4 miles.

We do ride together. I'm not brave enough to venture out on my own yet. And, I enjoy the time we do spend together biking. Even though we don't talk much, it's just nice being together, enjoying the outdoors, enjoying life really. 

I know that many people don't have the luxury of working out with their significant others. So, I try not to take it for granted that Jason will get out there with me, sometimes begrudgingly mind you ;-) He's not usually so eager to jump out of bed at 5:15 am and hit the pavement full force. That's ok. We need our own workout times too. 

Whether you work out with your spouse, significant other, or a good friend, I think there are some positive benefits. And of course there are benefits to working out solo as well, but today we'll focus on the benefits of having a partner in crime. 

1. Quality TIme: It gives you time to spend together that you might not get otherwise in our busy, overly hectic lives.

2. Encouragement: It really helps having someone who knows you well there to give you encouragement during a really hard (physically or mentally) run, ride, weight session.

3. Accountability: Working out with someone else makes it a lot harder to slack off or back out of it.

4. Motivation: Knowing you've got someone to chat with can give you something to look forward to.

5. Challenge: Having a workout partner can also give you a challenge, they may force you to run or ride faster than you give yourself credit for or lift heavier.

6. Safety: Plain and simple, having someone running or riding with you makes it safer or when lifting weights, they can spot you. 

Do you work out with your significant other or best buddy? What pros would you add to the list?