Here's a novel proposal for you: Instead of doing the usual happy hour with your co-workers, why not hit up the gym after work today? I know working out might be low on your priority list after a tiring day at the office, but it can be more fun than happy hour.
Trust me.
And, much like the ceremonial post-work cocktail, it's an effective way to bring you closer to your co-workers. (It also has the added benefit of, you know, actually being good for you.)
After you've seen each other dripping sweat as you struggle to keep up in your workout class, there's just no going back. You'll be tight for life.
So, instead of having a few drinks, try breaking a sweat. Here are 10 reasons why you should skip happy hour and work out with your co-workers.
Happy hour doesn't last, but strong bodies do.
You can talk office gossip with a side of healthy living.
The gym is a safe space for that delicious office gossip. If you and your co-worker gym together instead of throwing back a few cocktails, you've earned the right to spill on which colleagues are secretly dating.
Exercise will make you happier than a discounted glass of chardonnay.
You'll learn a lot about each other.
You can tell a lot about someone by the way he or she exercises.
Does he psych himself up by yelling loudly in between sets? Does she spend 20 minutes stretching before she starts the actual workout? You'll have a deeper understanding of your co-workers after you've observed them in their natural gym habitat.
You'll be more motivated to work out if you have someone to go with.
The thing about happy hour is that you end up skipping the gym because you don't want to be left out from the group. But if you and a co-worker make it a point to hit the squat rack after you leave the office, you'll feel more motivated to work out.
You can hold the other accountable, and you won't be plagued by FOMO because you'll be making your own memories.
A trip to the gym can make up for any grueling day at the office.
You can make up for a rough day at work with an intense sweat session. You and your co-worker both know how impossible your boss can be and once you get to a punching bag, you can let your aggression out.
Your inside jokes will actually make people jealous.
You'll have someone to spot you.
Just like with work projects and assignments, you need to trust your team. And if you can take that bond and translate it into a workout at the gym, you'll be on an entirely different level.
Think of it this way: If you can trust your work BFFs with the 125-pound barbell over your head, you can trust them with anything.
The people-watching is better.
There's absolutely no arguing this one. At the gym, there are hot, scantily-clad people as far as the eye can see. Enough said.
Co-workers who gym together form real, long-lasting friendships.
When your co-worker becomes your gym partner, he becomes so much more than someone you happen to work with. A special bond forms, and he suddenly transforms into one of your best friends.
Working out means pushing each other past boundaries you never knew existed. Even when you move on to new jobs or if life takes you down different paths, you'll always have the gym to bring you back together.
