Bored With The Gym?

A new breed of workouts is set to refresh your fitness routine by pitching you against virtual competitors. Game face ready?

- Sarah Ivory

Let’s be honest – exercise isn’t always fun, especially if you do it on your own. In fact, the motivation-boosting benefits of exercising with others are well documented.

One 2011 study published in the American Journal of Health Behaviour shows that training with a friend enables you to push harder than when working out alone, mainly because feelings of fatigue decrease and the competition motivates many to try harder. Another report reveals that people tend to enjoy activity more when they do it together – buddying up for a workout reduces stress and boosts mood. There’s even data from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in the US to suggest that, if your exercise partner loses weight through activity, you’ll be more likely to shed a few pounds. The payback of partnering up is big but, sometimes, you must work out on your own. The fact is, as much as you might love to work out with others, life gets in the way – perhaps, the kids are in bed and you’re squeezing in a home workout before dinner, or maybe the only time you can exercise is at 5am before work when the rest of the world is sleeping. And that’s where virtual exercise partners come in handy.

FUTURE OF FITNESS