Choosing a Fitness Partner

When people begin their fitness journey, they often find themselves battling a lack of motivation. It’s hard to get used to a new lifestyle, and it takes some extra willpower to make that happen. One of the simplest ways to motivate yourself to exercise and eat healthier is to find a partner to accompany you on your journey. This will work well if you have the right type of partner, but will be a disaster if you don’t.

The Right Partner

You will ideally choose a partner that has similar fitness goals as you. They need to share your conviction about improving health. When you find an individual like this they will help you in several ways. For one, they provide accountability. If you decide to take a day off of exercising, you are not only affecting yourself, you’re affecting that person. It also helps to provide some healthy competition. When you see the strides that they have made, it will push you to go further and vice versa. It also makes the process more enjoyable in and of itself. It can be boring to go to the gym or for a run on your own. When you have some one to join you, it seems more like a fun activity to be enjoyed, rather than a chore to be completed.

The Wrong Partner

Unfortunately, not everyone is ideal. The wrong partner can actually be detrimental to your health and fitness goals. These people claim they want to join you on your journey, but when push comes to shove, their lack of commitment begins to show. Your partner can end up dragging you down by assuring that it’s okay to miss “just this one workout” or that “this one indulgence can’t hurt.” This would be true, of course, if not for the fact that this becomes a pattern with them. You’re not missing just one workout when you skip it everyday, and it’s not just one indulgence when it’s what your diet primarily consists of.
This is why it is so important to take the time to consider who your fitness partner will be, You want one that will be there by your side pushing you forward, not one that stands over your shoulder holding you back. A fitness partner can be a blessing or a curse, so choose wisely.