It is a lot easier to keep to a workout schedule if someone else is involved. Fitness experts often recommend finding a buddy to workout with. Having another person waiting at the gym or ringing your doorbell tends to keep you on a regular workout schedule.

Make Working Out a Date

The best workout buddy is a spouse or significant other. For couples who complain they have no time together, spending time exercising can become a chance for a nightly date. This workout could be a couple of hours at the gym or blocking out time every night for a walk, a jog, a bike ride, or a game of tennis. This is a buddy workout that has multiple benefits: it’s good for the body and good for the relationship.

With a spouse or significant other as a workout buddy, it means there is someone always around to provide motivation for working out. It is hard to make excuses when the person you love is lacing up the sneakers and tossing a gym bag in the car.

Friends Who Play Together

If a significant other is not available for regular workouts, the next best thing is encouraging a friend to be an exercise partner. Again, it is a matter of motivation. Someone is counting on you to be there.

When a friend is a workout buddy, it is important to hook up with someone whose workout habits are similar. That is not to say that friends need to be attached at the hip at the gym, but they should at least be able to enjoy the same types of exercises at similar levels. It is also handy to have a friend around when lifting weights and a spotter is needed.

Two things to remember when choosing a workout buddy. First, buddies should compromise on their workout routine. One person should not always dictate the exercise or pace. Second, be courteous to others around you. Refrain from holding loud conversations or sitting around chatting while someone is waiting for the machine, the swim lane, or court time.

A Friendly Lunch

Co-workers make excellent workout buddies. If nothing else, taking a lunch time jog with the person in the next cubicle gets you away from your desk for an hour. A midday workout breaks up the day, provides an energy boost to the afternoon, and gives co-workers an opportunity to develop friendships away from the office.