Many of us have that friend, the one who is always rushing off to the gym, heading out for a run, just getting home from yoga — and always inviting you to come along.
Before you begrudge her for trying, let’s give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she’s not trying to make you feel lazy, but instead genuinely excited to share her passion for fitness with a friend.
It’s not unheard of, after all. Working out with a pal is essentially multi-tasking: You get to fit in your fitness while catching up, and for many, it’s a source of motivation and a built-in accountability method.
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When you’re feeling like you don’t measure up…
There may be days when your workout partner’s performance feels less like motivation and more like showing off. Maybe you’re not running as fast or lifting as much weight or you don’t look like she does in your skivvies. But keep in mind, says Matthews, that these judgments all begin in your own mind. “There isn’t a quintessential picture of what a ‘good workout’ looks like,” or how fast a “fit” person can run or the “ideal” weight, she says. “We have to stop in our own minds comparing our experiences to other people’s experiences. We do a lot of judging in our lives on a day-to-day basis, and exercise … doesn’t have to be another place to compare yourself to others.”
Rather than push yourself to the brink of injury to match her, put your own performance in perspective. “At one point in time, [every] person was at the same place you are, they had to progress through the same phases,” says Matthews. “Pushing yourself to a place that’s not safe or appropriate, at the end of the day, is not going to get you faster to your goals,” she says. Listen to your body to help you identify where you feel comfortable, and be proud of being exactly there.
