Buddy Up!!

(Image courtesy of http://www.cribsocial.com/) You may have heard of it when your parents told you not to party alone at night, or perhaps you remember it from swimming at your summer camp! In any case, the buddy system is a highly valuable approach for more than just party-going and learning to swim. What is the buddy system? Well in the context of physical activity, it’s when two consenting people commit to a physical activity regime and help each other through it with support, tips and teamwork. How do I know it works?! Well I have a buddy of course! Let's call her Feeble. She’s far from it, but I like the ring as a pseudonym. Anyways, Feeble and I are workout buddies. We have the same gym plan, similar goals and both need the motivation to actually get up and go. We’ve been friends for a long time so she doesn’t put up with my whining and I always give her a wake-up call so she doesn’t leave me stranded! Honestly though, I think the relationship’s working out for the both of us. I get more time to hang with my girl, we’re getting a little fitter each time we go and we’ve got a really sweet, free facility that’s convenient for both of us. My fave tandem exercise is definitely lunging around the AC's strength and conditioning centre or the Hart House weight room. I always feel self-conscious when I do it alone but with two somehow it’s easy! If it wasn’t for someone else depending on me to be there, I’m sure my attendance would falter…finding the motivation to workout, even when you know the benefits, can be a challenge! Here are some foolproof steps to help you get into the buddy system and keep up with your working out!

1. Find a friend, preferably one who’s got similar fitness or workout goals to you.
2. Compare schedules, highlight times that are free and convenient for both of you.
3. Discuss what to do, basically make a plan for what you want to do when you get to the gym. Maybe you’ll find a drop-in class or program that fits your schedules and sounds fun.
4. Buy a lock to share; if you don’t have one you’ll need one to lock up your gear, and usually both sets of gear can fit into one locker!
5. Lose the excuses, one of the top reasons I don’t go to the gym is crappy weather…but my buddy Feeble knows it’s my weakness and she always has a strong counter argument when I gripe! Thanks Feeble!!

Best of luck to the rest of the buddies out there!!   -Laura