So you’re finding yourself in a workout rut, stopped exercising or do not know where to even start. At this point in time it may be time to partner with a friend or co-worker to keep you focused on your goal.
A workout partner is good for many reasons, whether it be added motivation, someone to spot you during an exercise or merely the accountability to another person. Having a good workout partner means that there’s someone who makes you accountable, as well as someone to encourage you. If you have the same goals, you can plot and strategize how you’re going to get there.
Here is some advice that I’ve also given to the readers of Oxygen Magazine, a fitness magazine for women:
You should look at your own relationships in your life and see what is working. Who do you enjoy working with? Do you complete tasks together as a team? After losing nearly 100 pounds through walking and working out at home, it was time to hit the gym and tackle a more difficult routine. My friend Colleen, agreed to be my workout partner and we really pushed each other. Colleen achieved the goal of looking fabulous for her wedding, and I was on my way toward losing an additional 75 pounds. For me I needed someone to cheer me on, did not judge me and was able to offer advice.
Are you both morning workout people or do you prefer evenings? Colleen and I both worked evenings in television news at the time, so it was easy for us to meet for our morning workouts. You need to find someone that likes to workout and is available at the same time of day that you are.
Although, I still had a lot of weight to lose, I had built up my strength and endurance where we were both around the same fitness level. You should have similar goals and fitness levels as your workout partner. You want to also make sure that you’re in the right frame of mind yourself and can be encouraging to your workout partner even if they’re achieving faster results than you. Don’t get or act discouraged and let your partner down. You get what you put out there. Instead, see if they can be of some insight into how you can tweak your workout. Hire a personal trainer together to achieve optimum results. Trainers like myself, usually give a discount per person when training more than one person at a time.
Avoid someone who is a slacker and is not accountable. If you have something to talk about, save it for the protein smoothie you’re going to share after the workout. Focus on the task at hand, not mindless chatter.
Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her fiancé, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.