Benefits of Friendship Apply to Workouts Too

 I often feel too busy to have lunch or even a latte with a friend. However, if you want to jump in the water, go for a run or take a Zumba class, I will typically make the time and fit in as much gabbing as possible (i.e., I much prefer kickboarding to lap swimming because I have not figured out how to talk during the later). It turns out that research shows that people are more active throughout the age continuum when they workout with their friends.

Exercise adherence is a concept that has stumped researchers for . . .  well, certainly for as long as I have been doing research on it which is more than 15 years. Self-esteem, socioeconomic status, siblings and self-perception for exercise are all variables that have been explored without showing much of a connection. Recently, another variable was researched: the effect of friends on exercise/physical activity.

A recent study in the U.K. with 10- and 11-year-olds found that both boys and girls who take part in physical activity with their best friend engage in more moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Another related factor (in that study) was if they engaged in physical activity with their friend in their neighborhood or home then they showed increased physical activity. 

A University of Connecticut study of 189 women ages 59 to 78 found that strong social support was key to maintaining a new exercise regimen for one year. Conversely in a study of 12,000 people assessed repeatedly from 1971 to 2003 as part of the Framingham Heart Study it was found that a person’s chance of becoming obese increased by 57% if he or she had a friend that became obese during the studied time period while siblings had a 40% influence and spouses were 37% more likely to become obese if the other spouse became obese.

So, if you haven’t been in the habit of working out with a friend, you may want to give it a try. You will be more likely to stick to your exercise plan when you know that someone is counting on you to show up.  I spotted such a group of friends while I was out for a run around Naples the other day. They were walking in the opposite direction from me, but I had to do a quick turnaround and introduce myself because as they walked by, I was struck by the huge smiles on all of their faces and wasn’t surprised to find out that they had a regular walking date and time. So I met up with them on their arranged time which was Wednesday by the flagpole on The Colonnade in Naples to find out about this group of exercisers.

The threesome consisted of Frank Thomas (whose wife is typically there but was skiing in Mammoth), Sharon Henry and Gene Connor. It turned out that this group began when Frank’s daughter Katy was working on her master’s in gerontology and formed this walking group as part of her community outreach project.

The group has been together since then and when asked if they would like me to mention their group meeting time and place on Patch they all agreed it would be a good idea, and Frank added that “they were looking for some government funding.” As I jotted this down in my notebook, all three burst into laughter and as I walked a few more blocks with them, I quickly caught on that there were many laughs along this walking route.

The group said that they sometimes have as many as 10 people show up but, Sharon added, “with all of our aches and pains you never know for sure who will show.”

Sharon said she met the group while walking her dogs. I asked her if they walk in the rain and she answered, “If it’s raining hard enough we will sleep in.”

I asked Gene about what motivated him to join the group. He found out about the walking group from a Naples community newsletter. He showed up on the first day they met (in 2003) and met Coleen Hatch and knew after that first walk there was more for him in this than walking; the two have been boyfriend and girlfriend ever since.

As I was leaving, they added that they always get coffee after their walks and have dinner together once a month at The Small Café or K.C. Branaghan’s.

Now that’s what I call walking the walk!