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Holiday Fitness Survival Guide: Enlist a Friend as a Fitness Buddy

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:30:00 -0800

I have always found that when November rolls around, I lose a little of my fitness steam. The combination of the daylight saving time change, the holidays, and the first sneezes of cold and flu season just seem to zap my energy and eat up my free time. In this season of giving thanks and just plain giving, it is difficult to put myself and my workout first. That is why Fall is the best season to enlist a friend as a fitness buddy. Nothing beats working out with a friend for motivation and morale. Plus, you get to gab while burning calories. Here are some of the benefits of enlisting a fitness friend.

You might flake on yourself and skip the gym time, but would you flake on your friend? I hope not.
If you want to run outside and your friend only uses an elliptical, instead of thinking your relationship as fitness buddies won't work, think of it as a cross-training opportunity. The two of you can also find a compromise and try step or strip aerobics together.
You get to share the burden of planning your workout. This is a good way to mix it up and learn new moves without wasting time at the gym.
Working out with a buddy can decrease the boredom of repetitive exercise significantly, so you are more likely to work out longer and possibly harder. Sometimes a little friendly competition keeps the fitness fires burning.

Before you jump into a new relationship, check out the article Pair Up to Pare Down over at Shape. It offers a few suggestions to make sure your partnership with your workout buddy actually works out.

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Do You Exercise With Your Significant Other?

FitSugar — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:06:33 -0700

I'm glad to have my husband as a workout buddy. We take yoga classes together and go for hikes and bike rides with the kids. Not only are we burning calories and working our muscles, but it's also a great time to catch up. I love that he motivates me to get moving at times when I'd rather just plop down on the couch and watch reruns of Sex and the City. What about you?Source

Do You Exercise With Your Significant Other?

Yes, all the time.

Sometimes. We don't always like to do the same things.

Never, I prefer the time alone.

I don't have a significant other.

Fit Tip: Make Workout Plans With a Friend

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:15:00 -0700

Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to work out on your own. Things always come up in your schedule, and it's easy to skip exercising. One thing that helps me stay on track is when I make plans to work out with a friend. You can make it a once in a while type of thing, like planning a two-hour hike on a Saturday. Or you can make plans where you meet at your local yoga studio for a class once a week. If you need something more consistent then schedule something such as a walk before you both have to go to work in the mornings.

Having someone who's counting on you to be there makes it less likely that you'll skip it or put it off. It'll motivate you to go knowing your friend expects you to be there. Plus working out and being able to chat can make the time go by quickly, and it's so much more fun that you may actually forget you're even exercising.

Fit's Tip: If you're looking for something different to do with your friend, check out all my ideas for getting active with a partner.

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LeAnn Covers Fitness, and Health

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:00:00 -0800

I always love hearing about how couples motivate each other to get healthy, but now more than ever since it's Valentine's Day. LeAnn Rhimes recently told Fitness magazine that her husband was the driving force behind finally being able to get healthy.

Here are highlights:

"I wasn't taking care of my health. I was getting out of breath in the middle of the show . . . and sometimes I was getting really sick." The solution came with the emotional stability provided by her husband Dean — who also provided her something more: a workout partner. "[Dean and I] both push each other to be better."

LeAnn definitely eats healthy, too. To see what an average day of eating looks like for her just

Do You Have a Fitness Partner?

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:30:00 -0800

For some of us, fitness partners are the best way to keep motivated. Right now, my fitness buddy is my husband. We've been running together at night since it gets darker earlier these days. What about you, do you have a fitness partner? Source

Who do you workout with?

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:45:17 -0700

These days I have precious little time to myself, going to the grocery store alone, without my two precious girls in tow, honestly feels like a vacation. Since I am quite pressed for time, my workout has become my quality alone time. Someone recently suggested we run together, and I was actually shocked...I felt like they were encroaching on my quality alone time. Then, I realized I was being quite paranoid and most people don't feel how I feel. So it got me wondering whom people workout with, or do they go it alone.

Who do you workout with?

My best friend - she keeps me in line and is a great spotter when I lift free weights.

My doggie is the best running partner ever!!!!

Are you kidding me? My workout is my quality alone time.

My boyfriend, husband, partner, lover...life is busy so we treat each workout like a date.

My trainer works me out and there is NO togetherness in the situation.

Other? Tell me below.