There’s no boost like a workout boost and working out with friends, well, that takes it to the next level. Just as you’re more likely to go to a club if you know a friend’s going, science shows that working out with a friend increases your fitness, because you see in them a relatable goal. With a workout wife (who can have any relationship with you and be of any gender, we just love the level of commitment it implies), even if you’re not working out hand-in-hand, your motivation and achievements grow alongside your friendship.
In sports bras and leggings from the new adidas Statement collection, designed with input from female co-creators, including international athletes, three Refinery29 staffers and their workout wives tell us the best bits about working out together.
1. You get your own personal cheerleader
Whether you’re a cardio queen or you’re hyped about HIIT, working out requires effort. What better way to stay on track, with a positive mental attitude, than with a friend by your side? "We were competitive and egged each other on in a good way," Hannah explains of Kelsey, who responds: "Hannah is so motivating."
The same goes for Anna and Tara, who go through gruelling workout challenges as part of their netball team’s fitness training. As Anna explains: "One person runs the length of the court while the other is doing burpees, push-ups or squats. Then you swap, and carry on until you get to 100. You really have to do it together. You could never do it on your own." Tara stresses: "You need someone to encourage you."
Anna and Tara wear the adidas Statement collection
2. It can do wonders for your body confidence...
Not only has Kelsey felt emotionally lifted by the workouts she and Hannah have done together, but her confidence has shot up alongside her fitness. Hannah’s dedication has helped reset Kelsey’s priorities: "I used to be insecure, I used to put makeup on before classes or worry about my naturally curly hair. But Hannah’s so speedy, she’d be like, 'Come on, you look great, let’s go!' and now I don’t have to put all this armour on, makeup isn’t so vital to me."
Kelsey and Hannah wear the adidas Statement collection
3. ...not to mention your mental wellbeing
When you’re on your fifth consecutive burpee, it’s hard to imagine that endorphins – the happy hormones – are about to course through your body. These naturally occurring feelgood chemicals are also released when hanging out with friends, as Clare knows from experience: "Knowing I’ve worked out makes me feel mentally clearer, and when we both feel good, we talk each other up, we have better days in general because of it." Kelsey says that Hannah encourages healthy habits: "It’s like therapy, talking to a friend while all those endorphins are coming through. And if I’ve had a bad day, she tells me to go on a run rather than to the pub. I’ll feel better after, even when she’s not with me!"
Clare and Kristen wear the adidas Statement collection
4. You’re given new challenges
Some friends go for brunch, some go for drinks, others go on huge long massive runs – because isn’t it nice to have a common goal beyond perfect poached eggs and getting a bit tipsy together? "Kristen did a marathon last year and she did so well," says Clare. Not content with that, though, she "stood over my desk and made me sign up for it this year!" Kristen admits: "There’s nothing exciting about running 26 miles, but it will be really fun to train together." Likewise, Anna and Tara rose up through their netball club league together, from the 3rd and 4th teams to the 1st and 2nd teams, while Hannah and Kelsey are about to do a half marathon together.
Kelsey and Hannah wear the adidas Statement collection
5. You’ll become closer as friends
"We bicker a lot, we’re like an old married couple," Anna says of her sporting relationship with fellow shooter Tara, who’s keen to point out: "We’re never having a go at each other, but we work so closely." The upshot, they agree, is that the bickering intimidates their opposition, letting them know from the off that Anna and Tara are a well-oiled (occasionally cranky) machine.
Pre-existing friendships also get wound tighter through exercise. It definitely "brought us closer," Kelsey says, while Hannah explains that in their workout sessions, "We create something that makes us feel close, especially when we’re in a hard class or there’s a challenge and we can win it together."
Clare and Kristen wear the adidas Statement collection
6. It’ll get you outside
The sad truth is that a third of women who jog outside have been harassed while doing so. As we head into winter and the nights draw in earlier, Hannah says: "With someone by your side you get on with the exercise, it’s quite liberating that you don’t have to think of safety." It’s unfair that this is even a consideration, yet having someone trustworthy by your side may help you feel safer, and able to better embrace the simple joy of running in the fresh air.
Clare and Kristen wear the adidas Statement collection
7. It steadies that crucial work/life balance
The French have a term for the monotony of modern urban living – métro, boulot, dodo – where you exist to commute, work and sleep. Far from adding to this list, though, a workout invigorates Anna: "It’s a release; I can have a stressful day then I go to netball, I put all my energy in that and I go home and I’ve forgotten about work, I’m full of happy hormones." Tara knows that teamwork on court helps off court: "If you can be a team player when you play netball, you can be a team player in the workplace. You learn how to get on with other people."
Kelsey and Hannah wear the adidas Statement collection
8. Comparing (in a good way)
Comparing, especially when it comes to bodies, isn’t a great thing. Our three sets of workout wives compare motivations, though. So when she feels her core giving way to the tyranny of a plank hold, Hannah will think of how Kelsey can hold a plank for four minutes "and tell myself, 'Be more Kelsey!'" Meanwhile, Kristen says she’s bound to compare herself to others, it’s just that it helps to compare herself with a friend: "If I’m on a treadmill next to a random person who’s great, I slow down, but next to Clare I push myself more and can laugh at myself."
Clare and Kristen wear the adidas Statement collection
9. Commitment
Exercising on your own, it’s easy to let your worn-out self slip from the goals set out by your earlier, dedicated self, your interior monologue bargaining: "Well you did do a lot of steps earlier today, who cares if you cut your 5k short by 1k?" Try doing that same bargaining with a mate, though. "I can book a class and flake on myself," explains Clare,"but with Kristen I can’t let her down." Anna’s got the same mindset: "When you know and care about the people you do it with, you’re accountable."
If you’re after comfortable, wearable activewear for you and your workout wife, check out the new adidas Statement collection. And shoutout your workout wife (or HIIT husband!) in the comments below.
Anna and Tara wear the adidas Statement collectionLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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