In the hustle and bustle of life, as we know it, it is easy to let exercise slip down on our list of priorities. Of course, having a personal trainer is a great way to stay consistent and motivated, but if that is not of interest to you, having a workout buddy might be just the thing you need! Knowing that someone is counting on you to show up is great motivation. Here is a list of reasons to have a workout buddy, and what to look for in someone to share your health and wellness goals!
Benefits of Having a Workout Buddy:
- Help you achieve your fitness goals
- Working out becomes more fun
- Easier to try new workouts
- Monitor each other’s form
- Friendly competition
- Motivation and support
- Consistent encouragement to do better
- Increases safety while exercising
- Brings variety to workouts
- Increases commitment and accountability
What to Look for in a Workout Buddy:
YOU LIKE THEM
A good workout buddy must be someone you like. Remember, a good workout buddy makes your workouts more fun, not less.
FITNESS ROLE MODEL
Ideally, you want your workout buddy to be about 40% fitter than you are. Aim to get a person who is a fitness role model, yet at the same time, their level of fitness seems achievable to you if you really worked for it.
GOOD ATTITUDE
Positive and friendly, solution-focused and they keep working for better results. They also need to respect your time, be dependable, and if they’re spotting you, you need to be able to trust that they’ve got your back.
COMPATIBLE STYLES OF MOTIVATION
If you need a cheerleader to get motivated and they need a drill sergeant, then it’s probably not going to work out. Make sure you share the same motivational style.
SHARE SIMILAR GOALS
If you want to get to 14% body fat and they want to become a yoga expert, there’s a mismatch there. You need to share similar goals.
COMPATIBLE SCHEDULES
No-brainer. If your schedules never coincide then it’s not going to work.