Patients often tell me they wish they had a friend to exercise with, but with crazy schedules it just never pans out. Here, learn creative ways to leverage the power of friendship to get more physically active. On your next weight-loss attempt, ditch the fad diet and instead try to get by with a little help from your friends. It’s easier than you think!
1. Work buddy. Ask friends at work to walk during lunch or an afternoon break. If you have a gym at your work, see if anyone wants to workout with you before or after work. If you see people already doing these things, ask if you can join them.
2. Facebook buddy. If you would love a local exercise buddy, post on Facebook that you’re looking for someone to exercise with, and mention the time you’re available and some locations you have in mind. Example: “Does anyone want to meet up at Stoney Creek on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. for a 3-mile walk?”
3. Mobile app buddy. Sometimes your best buddies live far away, which is a bummer when it comes to exercising together — or is it? Connect with your distant friends on fitness mobile apps so you can track and motivate each other. Share your goals so you can help cheer each other on.
4. Peer coach. If you have a friend who’s very reliable and organized but has a schedule that doesn’t jive with yours, see if he or she is instead willing to meet up by phone or email to share goals and progress each week. Whenever you don’t hit goals, agree that you’ll help each other problem solve.
5. The hotshot. We all have this friend: They run like the wind or excel at some other physical activity with such prowess that it makes us feel oafish and awkward. This is the worst person in the world to workout with, right? No! Take advantage of their exercise conviction by finding a way to glom onto it. If they run 7-minute miles, bike alongside them. If they are slaves to the gym, go with them to benefit from their consistency — just do your own workout once you get there. Hotshot-types usually love to inspire people, so they’ll probably be very willing to take you under their wing.
6. Chatty Patty. We love her, but boy can this girl talk! Normally we’re too busy for Patty’s long-winded stories, but put Patty to work by making phone dates with her while you go for your evening walk. Catch up on life, gossip, speculate about the latest happenings on “Downton Abbey” or whatever it takes to get you through a nice, brisk walk. Patty will be happy, and you’ll have company to make your exercise go by faster.
7. Friend who can’t say no to challenges. This friend love dares, accepts all challenges and has no problem whatsoever making a fool of him/herself. Leverage this pal’s adventurousness by roping him/her into a physical event (e.g., “Dare you to do the Avon 39-mile walk for breast cancer with me this Spring!”) or active vacation (e.g., “Dare you to climb Mt. Washington with me in August!”) that requires a three-to-six-month training plan. Once you both sign up, you have no choice but to train and accomplish the event, which means months of physical activity. Before you know it you’ll start one-upping each other’s challenges, and have super fun and rewarding physical activities on your schedule every year.
8. The couch potato. You might think this person is useless when it comes to exercise motivation, but not so. If your spouse, child or friend isn’t into exercising but is fine if you workout, have him or her hang out with you while you exercise on your stationary equipment at home. They can get their Netflix in and chat to keep you company while you do your workout. The time will go by faster — and eventually they’ll want to join you.
9. Total stranger. Interestingly, my research shows that people who tweet about their weight loss report more social support for their effort from strangers on Twitter than they do from their own family and friends! Hop on Twitter and search the hashtag of your favorite fitness app (e.g., #myfitnesspal, #mapmywalk) to find other users, then follow them on Twitter and the app. Cheer them on, and you’ll find them cheering you on. Sometimes your best exercise buddy turns out to be a Twitter-happy librarian in Albuquerque who loves cats and coin collecting. Who knew?
” I get by with a little help from my friends. Gonna try with a little help from my friends.” — Billy Sears
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Calling All People Who Wish They Had an Exercise Buddy originally appeared on usnews.com
