Some people have no problems working out alone. For many of you, it could be the key to fitness success; you have fewer distractions, you can focus on yourself, and it just works.

Others might not feel the same way. If you’re struggling to work out alone and feel as though your gains are slipping, maybe you need to try exercising with others. It can be wonderfully beneficial, offering a new way to approach your workouts.

Provides more motivation

Working out with other people provides more motivation to succeed. Loads of commercial gyms like Fitness 19 will hold workout classes for people to attend. Here, you exercise in small or large groups, but there’s a camaraderie in the air. If someone is struggling to sneak out the last few reps of an exercise, loads of people are shouting words of encouragement. At the end of each session, you’re high-fiving and smiling at one another. When you’re working out alone, you don’t get any of this and it can be hard to motivate yourself to push beyond your limits.

Likewise, there’s added motivation to exercise when you’re maybe not in the best headspace. People in the fitness classes can chat with you and make you feel better, giving you the extra push you need to be great.

Adds a new sense of accountability

Being part of a group adds more accountability to your fitness routine. If you exercise alone, the only person you feel like you’re letting down is yourself. And let's be honest, we don’t have any problems with this. It’s almost too easy to give up or lose focus when we know we’re the only person who might feel let down.

However, in a group environment, you feel like you’re letting others down. Especially if everyone is lovely and motivates each other. You become more accountable for your fitness journey. It stops you from giving up and encourages you to keep working out.

Makes exercising more fun

Look, you’ll never achieve any fitness goals if you’re not enjoying yourself. Whether you want to lose weight or build muscle, you are going to fall short if fitness isn’t fun. No matter what you’re doing in life, it’s hard to stay motivated and focused when you hate it. This is why a lot of us struggle at work; we don’t enjoy it, so we don’t put in as much effort.

If you feel this way about fitness, working out with others is perfect for you. Being with other people and having friends to talk to makes everything way more enjoyable. You start looking forward to exercising - which again adds more motivation to the fitness pot. You exercise because you enjoy it, and this makes it all much easier.

To reiterate some points from the introduction, working out alone can have its benefits. Some people are suited to it more so than others - but many people may be better off working out in pairs or groups. Look at the benefits of group fitness in this article and use it to figure out which approach will be the best for you on your fitness journey.

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