Virtual Workout Partner

Researchers have found that some people are intimidated by live workout partners, especially if that person is faster, stronger, etc. Virtual workout partners remove some of the anxiety that can be associated with exercising in public.

Working out with a friend can make the experience more enjoyable, and also push you to work harder than you would have alone. But what if you don't have someone to exercise with; will your workout suffer or worse yet die out? Hopefully not. Based on a study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology a virtual partner had an impact on how hard or how frequently participants exercised.

The findings showed that participants exercised an average of 24% longer with a virtual workout partner than those without. The study also revealed that working out with a virtual partner helprd increase motivation.

Reference: SparkPeople, July 2011