Many of us find staying on track with training one of the most difficult things to achieve when it comes to fitness. Getting into a routine and sticking with it doesn’t have to involve expensive and complicated exercise programmes, sometimes it’s the simple ideas that are the most effective.
Here are some reasons why finding a buddy to train with may help you commit to regular activity.
Have a social workout
Adding a social element to your training sessions will make them more fun and rewarding. Having someone else to experience the highs and lows of exercising with you can make even the most difficult workout more bearable (that’s why team sports can be a lot of fun!).
Achieve goals together
Brainstorm some common goals so you can keep each other motivated. If neither of you has set goals already in mind, come up with something small but achievable that both of you can work towards in the short to medium term.
A beginner’s obstacle course, a 5km walk event, a bike ride around your local park or simply giving two different group fitness classes a go can all be good goals to get you started.
Review your workouts every now and then. Are you getting bored of your workouts? Try something new together. Are you feeling like you’re getting nowhere? Come up with a mini fitness test and/or do measurements to check on your progress.
Who can I train with?
Your significant other, a friend, work colleague, a relative, or someone from a hobby group you both belong to are all good options.
If you are still struggling to find someone to train with, think outside of the box; if your local suburb has a Facebook page, ask there. If you see a personal trainer, ask if they have other clients who might want a training buddy. Have children at school? Ask other mums if they would be interested or know someone who might be.
Training with a partner: Final tips
- Make sure you’re also doing activities as part of your fitness routine that don’t rely completely on your training partner. If they get sick, go on holiday or lose interest in training, you don’t want them to take you down as well!
- Talk it over with your training partner and discuss what the rules are if someone is struggling to get going or can’t make it to a training session for any reason. Lay down some ground rules. Having an emergency plan goes a long way to keeping you on track!
- Find someone who ‘gets’ your training style. If you’re not a keen exerciser and your training partner is super fit, it can go one of two ways; they can either help motivate you to train harder, or they can put you off as they are too serious.
- Be careful who you pick to train with. Training with your husband, wife or best friend may seem like a good idea because they are people close to you, but they may also drive you nuts if you exercise with them and they turn out to be a complainer or don’t take things seriously enough.
Image / FreeDigitalPhotos.net – Ambro