Beauty & Well-being

Research suggests you’re more likely to stick to the program

GOING to the gym on a regular basis can be a struggle at the best of times, especially in winter when it’s dark and cold.

Despite the range of health benefits that keeping active has for both physical and mental well-being, all too often there’s still the excuses and the sighs, “I’ll just start tomorrow.” (Sound familiar?)

Well what if the motivation to exercise dug a bit deeper than goals of weight loss or body image issues?

What if your daily sweat session was something you looked forward to?

What if it was somewhat of a social gathering, where you had friendly competition with like-minded mates?

Do you reckon you’d be more motivated to train then?

Because scientific research suggests you would.

A study conducted by Medline found those who enter fitness challenges and train in groups are more likely to succeed and maintain long term benefits than those who don’t.

The research found 95 per cent of those who started a weight-loss program with friends completed the program, as opposed to 76 per cent of individuals who took on the program alone.

Of those who trained with friends, 66 per cent were able to keep the weight off, while only 24 per cent of individuals who trained alone kept up the positive progress.

So the next time you’re going for an early morning beach walk, joining a gym or planning a weight loss routine, make sure you grab a friend (or two) to help you stay motivated and stick to the program. You’ll all enjoy the benefits then.