A recent article on the Boston ABC-online site makes a great point – Share a Trainer, Save Money at the Gym.

There’s so many benefits to training with groups, that it’s almost silly to comment on it.

So I will!

Training with others will do a few things:

• Save money (if you’ve hired a trainer)
• Provide support and motivation
• Create an atmosphere of creative competition
• Reduce anxiety and perceived effort
• Builds community

Is that enough?

I won’t cite all of the research that shows that the above effects “actually happen.”  Instead, I’ll just ask you to consider your own experience with physical effort, solo and in groups.

While a few people are very motivated to do physical things alone, many (I’d say most) are not.  Most folks are more motivated when there are others around.

The best example I can think of is, of course, kids on a playground.

Some kids play solo…for a little while.  Usually the split is (from my “professional observation”) probably around 20 percent solo playtime, and 80 percent group or partner play.  I think that ratio is probably a little different at different developmental times, but probably remains close to that until kids stop being active (whenever that is for the individual).

My new training location is setup really well for partner and small-group training, so I’m really looking to promote that in the near future.  It helps people to save money, and provides all of those great benefits above.

If you’ve ever considered working with a trainer, find a friend who has been thinking along similar lines, and then look around for a trainer who trains small groups or pairs.