Being a Great Fitness Buddy

There are many different reasons to exercise.  I don’t really care why you exercise…I just want you to get out there and move around!  Personally, I find exercising to be a way to get rid of stress.  It’s a way to work toward achieving something.  It’s a project.  Others simply want to look better in a swimming suit.  Or keep up with their children.  No matter the reason, I hope to help people get in better shape and stay healthier.  One way to do that is to have someone to exercise with you and motivate you…sharing in the occasional misery, but also in the accomplishments.

As someone who does about 99% of my running alone, I look forward to opportunities to run with other people.  I just received an email from a patient who wants to go trail running, so we are meeting this weekend.  If I can be an enabler (in a good way), I most certainly will!

Studies have shown that one of the best ways to stick to your fitness regime is to have a reliable fitness partner.  Being a fitness buddy means that someone else is counting on you to make them accountable for their workout, keep them inspired, and ensure that they are not alone in their quest for fitness.  To be a great fitness buddy you just need to keep a few basic guidelines in mind:

You should both have similar goals ­– If you are training for a place on the Olympic team, and your fitness buddy just wants the occasional weekend workout, neither of you is likely to meet your goal.  This does not mean that you have to share the same goal, but they should be relatively comparable.  That way, you can encourage your partner to meet their goal while not losing sight of your own.

Find someone at a similar fitness level – Your fitness partner does not want to feel like they are being left behind if you are at a much higher level than they are.  Similarly, choosing someone at a higher level may make them feel like they have to hold back.  Having the same starting point is more motivating for both of you.

This is the biggest point:  Be reliable.  Always show up when you say you are going to.  Your fitness buddy will be more motivated knowing that he or she can count on you to be there for a scheduled workout.  You should ideally have similar schedules so that your partner does not have to work around your previous commitments.

Don’t hesitate to push your partner – It’s natural to want to do as little work as possible to reach our goals, but encouraging your fitness buddy to push themselves a little farther than they might on their own can help them to reach their goals a little faster.  Never push them beyond what they can safely do, but there is no harm in encouraging your partner to push beyond what they perceive are their limits.  They will be pleasantly surprised at how much they can accomplish that they never thought they could.

Keep focused – Help your partner to keep focused on his or her workout by ensuring that your mind does not wander off or become distracted by the cute guy or girl walking by in the gym.

Provide useful criticism ­– Do not hesitate to correct your workout partner if you feel he or she is using bad form or doing something unsafe.  Part of the responsibility of being a great fitness buddy is ensuring that your fitness partner does not become injured during their workout and performs to the best of their ability.

There are several events coming up that would be great to share with a fitness partner.  In late June, you could run the Manitowoc Maritime Marathon as a four-person relay.  In August, don’t forget about the Sarah Adams Memorial Run right here in Kiel.  If you’re looking for some other running event, or any kind of event, for that matter, just ask me, or look at www.runningin theusa.com for a list!