Work out with someone a bit better than you

Choose someone a little ahead of you for your next workout. Look for a partner you can imagine working alongside, then make a plan together. Give each of you a part in the session.

That is the idea behind this episode. The research looks at how a partner’s ability and the team setup affected persistence in exercise tasks. You can use it to think about who to ask and what you want to do together.

What the partner studies found

In one cycling study, women rode for about 21.9 minutes with a team partner, compared with 10.6 minutes alone. In a separate plank study with an on-screen partner, a partner presented as 40% better helped more than one 100% better or just 1% better.

These findings concern specific exercise tasks. They do not promise the same increase for every workout or show that an accountability text doubles your success. Use them as a reason to try a partner whose performance feels within reach, in a session where your effort contributes.

The video’s four rules give you a way to plan that session.

1. Find someone a bit ahead

Think of a friend whose routine you would like to work towards. Choose someone you can work alongside without making their whole routine your target for the first session.

You do not need to calculate an exact ability difference for your own workout. Start by asking who feels a manageable step ahead. Tell them what you currently do and propose an activity you can share. Choose a session you are willing to attempt at your own level.

2. Make it a team

Agree on what you are doing together and how each person’s effort counts. You could plan a shared cycling session or another activity you both want to repeat. Be clear about the session before it starts.

Ask your partner what they want from the arrangement, too. Decide how you will take part and what completing the session means for each of you. Use the team idea to make a joint plan you both understand and want to carry out.

3. Start with friends

In one weight-loss trial, 95% completed treatment in the friends-plus-support condition, compared with 76% in the alone-with-standard-treatment condition. That comparison includes the support setup, so it does not isolate friendship alone.

For your own plan, start by asking someone you already know. Explain the action you want to do together and ask whether it fits their plans. You can propose a first session before deciding on a longer arrangement. Choose someone with whom you are comfortable discussing what works for you.

4. Put it in both calendars

Agree on the day, the time, and the activity. If you want a weekly session, choose the same appointment each week. Write down where you will meet or how you will join.

Make the invitation concrete: “Would you like to cycle with me after work on Tuesday?” Once you agree, prepare what you need for that session. After trying it, talk about whether you want to book the next one together.

Send the invitation

Choose your person and suggest an actual session. Aim for a partner whose effort feels within reach and an activity you both want to do. Finish with a date in your calendars, so the idea has a next step you can follow.

Related reading: The Buddy System: How a Simple Daily Text Can Double Your Success.

Sources

• Irwin, B. C., Scorniaenchi, J., Kerr, N. L., Eisenmann, J. C., & Feltz, D. L. (2012). Aerobic exercise is promoted when individual performance affects the group: A test of the Kohler motivation gain effect. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 44(2), 151–159.

• Feltz, D. L., Irwin, B., & Kerr, N. (2012). Two-Player Partnered Exergame for Obesity Prevention: Using Discrepancy in Players’ Abilities as a Strategy to Motivate Physical Activity. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 6(4), 820–827.

• Wing, R. R., & Jeffery, R. W. (1999). Benefits of recruiting participants with friends and increasing social support for weight loss and maintenance. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(1), 132–138.