Individual or couple training: which is the most effective? Scientists respond!

Recent research from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University has raised a question about physical exercises as a couple.

Contrary to popular belief about mutual encouragement as a couple, the study concluded that physical activity levels may be lower when exercising with a partner, compared to exercising alone.

How was the study carried out?

Exercising alone can be more effective than as a couple, according to research from Nanyang Technological University – Image: Reproduction

The study involved the participation of 240 volunteers aged between 54 and 72 years, all married and living in the same residence as their spouse.

For a period of 12 weeks, those involved used physical monitoring devices to record data such as the number of steps taken, heart rate, distance covered, calories consumed, duration of activity and information about sleep.

For analysis purposes, the volunteers were divided into two groups: one that performed physical exercises as a couple and another who performed them individually.

Results and implications

Analysis of data collected during the 12-week study showed that participants who exercised as a couple took, on average, fewer steps than those who walked individually.

In the words of researcher Sapphire Lin, who led the study:

“Study participants have well-established routines that do not necessarily include exercising with their spouse. For these couples, changing daily habits may require a major overhaul of habits and routines ingrained in their family life after years of marriage.”

Additionally, the data indicated that couples who exercised together spent more time in daily sedentary activities and less frequently achieved daily step counts of 7,500, 10,000 and 15,000 compared to those who exercised individually.

Study results suggest that older adults looking to introduce physical exercise into their life styles They may find it more effective to focus on changing their own routines, rather than trying to exercise as a couple and trying to impose changes on their partner.

The study is a valuable contribution to understanding how different social contexts can influence physical activity levels and paves the way for new research and strategies to encourage physical exercise, especially among older people.