Sticking with Your Workout

Having trouble sticking to your workout regiment? Try adding a partner. Having someone with you while you work out can help you to stick to your program; while it manages to help you remain accountable. In other words, by having a buddy, you are less likely to cheat.

According to a survey conducted by StrategyOne, 80 percent of individuals in a fitness program will stick to it if they have someone join them. Is it because there's misery in company? No, of course not! It's because having a partner to help motivate and inspire you to stay on track, stick with you program, even when it gets difficult.

So what happens if you can't find anyone to join you in person? There are plenty of sources to find online partners as well. Beachbody offers an online fitness forum that is free to join, where individuals can log in to work out, schedule virtual work outs with others across the country, visit forums to discuss weight loss and get help with diets.

FitDay offers a wonderful food journal that can help you count calories, record food intake and create visual graphs to show your progress. Gimme20 is another fitness forum that offers help in building a work out program, reaching out to others within the Gimme20 community to help motivate, and has a great library of articles on diet, exercise and fitness.

There are plenty of other online sources, and community sources to help you find your way to better health. Many area recreational parks and services have different programs available to help people get active. There are even fitness groups that meet at their local church. If there isn't a group in your area, go out and start one. Chances are there are people just like you who are looking for exercise buddies, but just don't know where to find them.

However you find motivation, one of the surest ways to maintain your work out program is to find a friend. Even if you and your work out buddy are just going for walks on your lunch break, 20-30 minutes of walking a day can help strengthen your heart, lungs and help burn off any stored of stress and excess calories. Besides, working out with a buddy is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Think of all the venting you can do while exercising! You're killing two birds with one stone.