Find the Right Workout Buddy

Workout buddies help you stay committed to your fitness program and have fun while you’re doing it. Being accountable to your fitness buddy is a big reason the pairing works wonders.

A workout buddy greatly increases your chances for results from your fitness program. It’s proven workout buddies provide the extra motivation and commitment to a program.  Let’s face it, most people quit a regular exercise program within a short period of starting. Your workout buddy may be the best solution to finding the reasons to keep going.

Starting an exercise program is a choice to make intentional changes in your life.  Change is always difficult. Change requires a solid support system be in place if you’re going to make change permanent. A workout buddy provides a combination of motivation, accountability and even competition. It’s helpful to have someone you can count on to help you even when you don’t want to.

You can talk about your workouts and your goals. You can discuss each workout and how it felt.  You can talk about topics other than fitness and take your mind off things.  You keep tabs on each other and motivate each other to succeed.

Finding the right workout buddy for you is key.  You need to share interest in the same type of exercise.  If you’re taking full body workout classes, having a workout buddy who favors weight training doesn’t make sense.  Someone is going to be unhappy eventually.  Find out if your potential workout buddy shares the same interests you do.

You also need someone who has an emotional connection with you.  It’s someone you can relate to emotionally.  You need the right amount of give and take.  If you choose someone who complains a lot, and you don’t, you’re not going to be successful.  It doesn’t mean you must be best friends.  You do need to be very compatible though.

Another factor with your workout buddy is your schedules.  Are you on relatively the same schedule?  If your workout buddy is frequently late or absent from workouts it’s not doing you much good.  If you are both stay-at-home mothers or if you both have lunch at the same time your schedules work.

You and your workout buddy hold each other accountable. Talk about your goals. Write down your goals and what you want to achieve. Compare notes with your workout buddy so you both know what you’re trying to achieve together.

Talk about your schedules so you work out at the same time.  If one of you is having trouble making it you find out why.  Is it legit? Skipping a workout because you don’t want to go won’t be acceptable to your workout buddy.  Your workout buddy is in your corner. You must let them in.

Discuss what you can do better. Ask your workout buddy to say something if you’re not doing it correctly.  Involve each other in the process. You want someone who can be critical and help you succeed.  Two heads are better than one.  You and your workout buddy are in it together.  You help each other win.  Choose the right workout buddy for you and make sure he or she holds you accountable so you win!