After training, exercising and playing sport my whole life I’ve come to realise as much as I enjoy exercising on my own there really is nothing better than training with your partner or friends. The key to training with others is to have FUN! Getting fit together, training for the same goal and having friendly and healthy competition between each other is fantastic! To push yourselves to the next level, challenging both physically and mentally can create such bonds with others and who better to do this with than your loved one or close friends. If you’re not yet close friends I can guarantee you will be after regular exercise and training together. Remember that encouragement, fun and positive attitudes will go a long way. Push your partner to go harder and stretch both them and yourself too. There are several ways couples and friends can train and exercise together. Join the gym – with flexible hours and even a larger variety of fitness activities today, there will be something to suit each of you. Another is getting down to nature and going out running or walking together. Try this fun and competitive game of catch up fun runs together!

• Head to a park where you can do laps of walking/running or choose one circle or stretch of path/track.
• Decide on the number of laps or finishing point and calculate how many minutes it will take each of you to complete. You can do this with partners or groups of people too.
• Name your anticipated finishing times and calculate the difference. If one partner predicts 25mins and the other 30mins then the difference is 5mins.
• The slower person starts running and the faster person waits the difference in time in this case 5mins before starting.
• And you’re RACING!! The faster person has to try and catch up and the slower one tries to keep them at bay.
• Next time your predictions will be more accurate and then it’s a race to the finish line every time!

TIPS for Training TogetherDon’t want to race flat out every time? Use heart rate monitors effectively and race by staying in your designated heart rate zone to prevent over training and going too hard. TIME TOGETHER: Just going out for a walk with your partner or friend is ideal for exercise and catching up at the same time. Without the TV going, the phone ringing or other interruptions, working out together might just give you precious time to catch up even if it’s just to talk about and recap on your day as you warm up together on the treadmill. And when you’re having interesting conversations you don’t even notice the time ticking away! ENDORPHINS – Usually after a good workout, your mood is the best it will be all day. Sharing this endorphin high with your favourite person is a great way to keep positive times in your relationship. MOTIVATION: If you’re in it together with someone else you’ve committed to, it’s much easier to encourage each other to pull the other out of bed or off the couch and into your trainers. Once in them you’re usually half way there! And the odds are, one of you will have the get-up and go to pep the other beyond that pre-exercise sluggishness. NEW PERCEPTION: Remember you don’t have to grind through on a treadmill to get exercise. Try joining a dance class or my personal favourite is to put a CD on while cleaning the house or cooking a healthy meal and get your booty shaking until your heart is pumping! So get out training with your partner or friend today! Ensure you consult with your doctor and fitness trainer when engaging in any new activities.