It doesn’t take much to derail fitness goals – rain, a bad night’s sleep or simply that you’re ‘just not feeling it today’.
But studies show that the best way to keep on track when it comes to exercise is to have a friend or group that can nudge you along.
A recent study in the journal Management Science discovered that people who found it difficult to work out saw significant improvements when they paired up with a regular gym-goer.
We spoke to three north-east people who benefitted from the power of a pal or pals when it came to achieving their own fitness goals.
From a bunch of Culter running buddies to an amputee fitness group at the Sports village, here’s just a handful of the incredible people in the region working together to get better…
‘It’s made the absolute world of difference’ says Culter runner
Carina Ray will run the London Marathon on April 21. To help, the 40-year-old from Peterculter has leaned on a little help from her friends.
I did the London marathon 10 years ago, but that was prior to running. So I walked it, which was a completely different ballgame.
And I did the virtual one four years ago when I was living in Johnshaven and made my own route from Montrose up to Johnshaven. For that one, I trained through the summer but I found it really hard.
The difference has been that that time I did it on my own. This time, even though I now live in Peterculter, my friends from my running group in St Cyrus have come up to do my long runs with me here in Culter.
That’s made the absolute world of difference.
There’s seven of them including me – Mhairi, Raymond and Ethan Brown, John Guy, Rach Little, Andrea Watt and Mark Coburn.
It’s not every week; it’s been mixed groups. But I do feel a bit guilty because they are doing all the training but only I get to run the marathon.
But for these guys to come up here and run 18 miles for me, it’s a different level of motivation and support.
When I used to run on my own, I always needed music just to distract me. But for these long runs, we’re chatting the whole way through. You’re taking in your surroundings a lot more as well.
I find that for my long runs as well, that I’ve actually been excited about them before I go out. Previously, like when I did it four years ago, and it was always kind of a thought to get going in the morning.
But it’s that kind of group. As much as I’m doing this to train for the marathon, every person on that run is also achieving something. We’ve all got that common goal.
I’m running the marathon on behalf of the Stroke Association so the group is helping me with that too. I’ve already raised more than £800.
[The running group] have got me tags for the laces on my trainers. It says, ‘Good luck, Carina, you’ve got this, and then ‘London Marathon’ and the date.
Hopefully I won’t be looking at my feet too often, but I know that it’s there.
‘One thing about amputees, we’ve got a terrible sense of humour’
Atholl Smart, 59, is part of Finding Your Feet, a fitness group for amputees at AberdeenSports Village. The former security officer lost a leg from diabetes in 2019.
I used to go to a gym but everybody was staring at me all the time. I felt uncomfortable because I didn’t know anyone else there and I was the only amputee. I didn’t even know if they’d had amputees before.
A woman called Tracy Stainer got in touch with me and told me she’s starting a class for amputees at ASV.
Everyone in the gym now knows us and I’d say going to the gym is the only reason I have for getting out of the house. I struggle to get out and about if I don’t have something to go to.
A lot of the guys come in at 1pm even though the gym session doesn’t start till 2pm.
We come in to have the chat, a good laugh. And then when we get up to the gym, we can get on with the workout. The social aspect is amazing.
I would say I’m a lot stronger now. My legs are still not where I want them to be, but my upper body has improved dramatically. I’ve got nerve damage on my legs, so if I work too hard I’m in agony at night. So I tend to ease off on that.
One thing about amputees, we’ve got a terrible sense of humour. We’re always winding each other up.
[Fellow Finding Your Feet gym-goer] Kenny always beats me at table tennis, but I say he’s cheating because he’s standing up and I’m in a chair. So we make him sit in a chair, and after that he doesn’t play so well.
We go swimming as well, and recently we had a double amputee. She came into the pool and almost drowned on day one because she forgot her feet wouldn’t touch the bottom.
We got her a flotation device but she still looked a bit worried. We told her, don’t worry, in a few weeks you’ll be doing the lengths we’re doing.
But before she came out of the water that day, she was away, she’d done a couple of lengths. It was great to see that.
‘It is all about accountability’ says Hyrox hero on teaming up
Gemma Milne, 28, runs her own fitness classes in Aberdeen, Milne’s Mini-Fit. In February, she took part in Glasgow edition of the hottest new fitness trend, Hyrox, with friend Laura Henry, also 28.
You can do the Hyrox solo, double or in a team of four. It’s eight kilometres of running and at every kilometre mark there’s a station of exercise that you need to complete.
For example, the first one is you do a one kilometre run and then you do 1,000 metres on the ski-erg [a piece of equipment that simulates skiing].
If you are doing it solo you do the whole 1,000m yourself but if you are in a doubles you can split the distance however you want with a partner.
So we pick our strengths. I’m much better on the skier than Laura is, so I do the majority of the ski. She’s much better on the row compared to me, so does more of that.
Working out with someone else is all about accountability. If you have your friend, you’re accountable for them as well as for yourself.
At the Hyrox, I don’t know I would have got through it if it was just me on my own.
During the run, I really wanted to stop, but because Laura was running beside me, you can’t. It’s almost like you can’t stop because you don’t want to let that other person down.
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