Group exercise better for health than solo slog

EXERCISING with a group makes people feel physically and mentally better than working out alone, a study suggests.

Researchers found working out in a group lowered stress by 26 per cent and improved quality of life. Although those who exercise alone put in more effort, they experienced no extra changes in their stress or physical fitness levels. “The communal benefits of coming together with friends and colleagues, and doing something difficult, while encouraging one another, pays dividends beyond exercising alone,” said Dr Dayna Yorks, of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. “The findings support the concept of a mental, physical and emotional approach to health that is necessary for student doctors and physicians.” The results were published in the Journal of The American Osteopathic Association.