Why working out alongside others helps you stick with it

Motivation is easier to find when you are not the only one looking for it. That shows up consistently in how people actually stay engaged with exercise over time.

The role social connection plays in consistency

Staying consistent with exercise is rarely just about willpower. A 2025 study of exercise providers found that older adults in real-time, interactive virtual sessions stayed more engaged and motivated than those following solo, pre-recorded workouts, even when everyone was training from home. [1]

The connection itself seems to matter for staying consistent, separate from the workout itself.

Why knowing others are showing up matters

There is something different about training when you know someone else is doing the same workout, even if you never speak to them directly. It creates a quiet sense of accountability. Even from your living room, you're part of something slightly bigger than a solo session.

A simple way to put this into practice

This week, try dropping into the iFIT Community Facebook group. It's also where new monthly Challenges get announced first, so it doubles as a heads-up on what's coming. Posting is what actually helps, more than scrolling. Share a quick update after your next workout, even a single line like what you did and how it felt. Commenting on someone else's post works just as well, it puts you on the other side of the same exchange.

Prefer to stay inside the app?

iFIT Challenges run on a simple badge system, no sign-up required. Complete enough workouts within the month and you'll earn badges (often Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Elite tiers) that show up in your Trophy Case in the app. The iFIT Personal Trainer App tracks your progress automatically the moment you complete a qualifying workout. Watching that Trophy Case fill in over the month is its own kind of shared progress, even without talking to anyone directly, since thousands of other members are chasing the same badges on the same calendar.

For something more structured

If you have an iFIT Pro membership, the iFIT & Ergatta Fall Cup offers a different kind of connection. It's a multi-week competition across treadmill, bike, or rower, with stages you're all working toward on the same calendar, even though everyone races on their own schedule.

Two things make a real difference if you're trying it. Pair your heart rate monitor before the first stage starts, not the morning of, so it isn't the first thing you're troubleshooting during a race. And treat each stage like an appointment already on your calendar rather than something you'll get to if the week goes well. That structure is part of what makes a multi-week format easier to stick with than an open-ended goal.

Frequently asked questions

Does working out with other people actually help you stay consistent?

For many people, yes. A 2025 study of exercise providers found that older adults training in real-time, interactive virtual sessions stayed more engaged than those following solo, pre-recorded workouts. [1]

Do I need to know the people I am working out with for this to help?

Not necessarily, but the research is strongest for real-time, interactive settings, where people are engaging with others live rather than just seeing a static list. [1] A space like the iFIT Community Facebook group is a lighter-touch way to feel that same sense of connection, especially if you post rather than browse.

Does this apply to virtual or app-based workouts, or only in-person classes?

It applies to both. The same 2025 study found that real-time, shared virtual sessions kept older adults more engaged than pre-recorded ones, even when nobody was in the same room. [1]

What is a simple way to add this to my routine?

Start with whichever fits your style: post an update in the iFIT Community Facebook group after your next workout, pick an iFIT Challenge that matches something you were already planning to do, or, if you have iFIT Pro, pair your heart rate monitor early and treat the iFIT & Ergatta Fall Cup's stages like fixed appointments.

Reference

1. Mehrabi S, Drisdelle S, Dutt HR, Middleton LE. Defying Distance: Exercise Providers' Perspectives on Remote Physical Activity Supports for Older Adults

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