As you already know, we are strong proponents for bringing your workouts indoors here at iFit. A home gym lets you sweat it out without facing any troubling weather conditions, while our Global Workouts give you a taste of the outdoors. That being said, it can be tough to stay on track with your workout routine. When straying from your fitness journey, we’ve found that pairing up with a workout buddy can help keep you motivated and on track! Not only do you hold each other accountable, but it can also make your workouts far more enjoyable. Plus, you might find yourself pushing just a little bit harder!
Grab your workout buddy and try these 5 tips to help you stay motivated!
As if I didn’t stress this enough, grab a partner or gather a group of friends! Working out with other people can help keep you from getting bored with your fitness routine. It can also help you stay motivated and work harder. The camaraderie not only incorporates a fun, social aspect to your workout routine, but it allows for you guys to encourage each other to meet your fitness goals. Join a bootcamp, go on an early hike, or complete the same iFit workouts—do whatever it takes to get you and your workout buddy going!
Music can help you push yourself during a workout, so why not try it with a friend? Songs with 120–140 bpm will help pump you up and keep up the tempo of your workout. It can also lessen your perception of fatigue so you can push yourself a little harder. If you and your workout buddy are using iFit, we’ve made things easier now that you can access your favorite popular music when you work out on your equipment. Another great option is to use a music streaming service to create a workout playlist together. Having a mix of songs that you both like will keep you motivated and on the same wavelength— even when you’re not working out together!
Accountability is key when it comes to staying on track with your workouts. In this case, you and your workout buddy should both feel responsible for making sure that the other person is staying true to their word. Planning ahead can help you do this. Each week, create a schedule where you agree on a time and day (hopefully multiple) where you can meet up and work out together. If you can’t meet up, schedule a time at the end of the day where you’ll each check in with each other to make sure you worked out that day.
Once you feel like you’ve mastered your workout routine, it's easy to reach a plateau where you are no longer progressing. Having a workout buddy can give you the confidence you need to go out and try something new. Every other week (or at least once a month), find a new class or activity that you both are willing to try. Kickboxing, swimming, yoga, rock climbing, or Zumba are all fun activities that can help spice up your fitness routine. If you’re not quite ready to take that leap, simple changes in your workout routine can help tackle this issue. If you usually do cardio, then weight training, try doing your weights before cardio. This will challenge your muscles in a different way!
There’s nothing more motivating than a little bit of friendly competition. Competing against each other will help you and your workout buddy both push yourselves to perform your best (and maybe even do better than your best). Try to beat each other’s workout times or see how many reps you can challenge each other to do. These simple changes will make your workout routine much more interesting. Another great challenge is to sign up for a marathon or cycling race and train together!
If you're feeling stumped when it comes to working out, grab a friend and give these tips a try. A good support system can help bring you closer to your goals—not only in fitness, but life itself!
