Partner Exercise

Exercising with a partner is a good motivator. But maybe only if your [gym:best] buddy keeps quiet. That's according to research to be published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. For the study, participants had to hold a [plank:plate] for as long as possible. Some simply did the exercise. Others did it with a partner who was on video. They were told the partner was stronger than they were -- past research has shown that a more [accomplished:accumulated] workout buddy motivates people to exercise longer. The video partner was silent with some participants. But the partner [verbally:virtually] encouraged others. And when their gym buddy told the exercisers to feel the burn, they instead burned out. The researchers believe that the encouragement decreased exercise [ability:skill] because the participant might have interpreted the support as patronizing. Or they thought that the gym buddy was really only encouraging him- or herself. The research could inform the [design:effect] of effective video game workouts and social media tools to help people exercise. Because while increased motivation can help physical activity, a lot of yapping may just be sapping.