Who can you count on to provide healthy competition but also act as your biggest cheerleader?
If you’ve been struggling to find the motivation to get to the gym lately – or perhaps exercise at all – a workout buddy may be exactly what you need to get into the swing of things.
From watching your form to encouraging you when you feel you can’t do that extra burpee, a workout buddy can be a great way to help you reach your health and fitness goals.
Personal trainer Sam Wood who is also founder of Gecko Sports and creator of 28 by Sam Wood, says having a buddy can also keep you accountable.
“There’s definitely something positive about it, especially when that buddy is on the journey with you. The reality is motivation will always fluctuate and having a buddy there for you on the days you need it the most can be very powerful,” says Sam.
Watch Kirsty Godso share her favourite anytime, anywhere workout:
Dwindling motivation can derail a good routine, and given consistency with our fitness habits can help us see results, it’d help to have some way to make working out seem a little less… difficult – particularly if you’re a morning gym-goer and your snooze button is looking mighty fine.
Your gym buddy can give you extra motivation to wake up early and exercise – after all, you’ve planned a 6am workout session together and you wouldn’t want to be the one to cancel, right?
A workout buddy can also make exercise seem more social and fun, rather than being the thing you endure in order to justify ordering cheesecake for dessert.
“In the industry, we talk about making the medicine taste better. If those workouts are flying by because you’re enjoying the company of a friend – that is awesome. Having a workout partner also helps you with your accountability.
“Having someone there to give you a kick in the pants on the days you’re a little bit slack is a great way to ensure you’re always working towards your goals,” says Sam.
To quote Sam, we can all do with someone “kicking us in the pants” every now and then – especially if we’d rather stay home and watch Riverdale than work out.
Finding the perfect workout partner can be a task though.
Your schedules need to line up, your fitness levels and goals should try to be compatible and your approach to exercise should be similar – there’s no point having a workout buddy if they’re ready to call it quits and grab a flat white after 20 minutes but you’re an exercise-’til-you-drop kind of person.
Exercises to try with your workout partner:
- A push-up partner high five combo (head to head, push-up in sync, high five and repeat).
- Plank off (see who can last the longest).
- Wall squat comp (see who can last the longest).
- Boxing is a great workout to do with a friend (in Sam’s opinion, it’s one of the most effective workouts you can do.)
So how do you find someone who will be a good fit?
“Your workout partner should be someone that shares your attitude, will be a positive influence and most importantly is someone whose company that you enjoy,” says Sam.
“Personally I prefer to train with someone that I know is serious.”
“I enjoy some workouts to be social but typically my attitude is ‘if we’re going to do it, we may as well do it properly’ and it definitely helps if your training partner has a similar attitude to you.”
This article originally appeared on Now to Love.
