Remember when you were a kid and your whole world, at least for those eight hours a day while you were at school, was ordered around the wisdom of the buddy system? The idea was simple: as long as there was a second small child with you at all times, you were much less likely to be abducted by the bogeymen lurking in the shadows. Brilliant.
Flash forward 10 years, and the buddy system starts to seem pretty smart, especially when it comes to staying fit. Regardless of your exercise of choice, having a buddy by your side is almost indispensible if you want to get them most out of your workout.
Take going to the gym. Not only is much of weightlifting only safe to do if you have somebody there to spot you, you’ll be much more likely to work up the courage to strike up a conversation with the resident hottie if you have a buddy there to egg you on. Alternatively, it helps for the ladies to have a girlfriend along to ward off the creeps that come over, trying to chat you up, when all you want to do is get your sweat on and relieve some stress.
Buddies help if you’re into running, too. Running can be a lonely game, and as the miles pass under your feet, it helps to be able to look up and see a friend suffering alongside you. It can be hard to stay motivated by means of willpower alone, especially if you’re training for something unnaturally grueling like a marathon. Having an equally committed person by your side can keep you going far past the point where, otherwise, you’d have dropped off.
So, how to choose a buddy? This may seem like an obvious question—you have a friend and you both want to get into shape; problem solved. But it’s not that simple; not all buddies are created equal.
First, you have to ask yourself, “Is this person likely to flake?” No matter how committed you are to your fitness goals, if the buddy you have chosen doesn’t take things seriously, chances are you won’t either.
Second, make sure the buddy you choose is at about the same fitness level as you. If you’re on the scrawny side, don’t choose somebody who could bench press three of you to lift weights with, you’ll only end up annoying him and discouraging yourself. Or, if you’re on the hefty side, don’t choose a skin-and-bones runner to go jogging with; the only thing worse than getting left in the dust by your running partner is knowing that you’re making them slow their pace down just for you. If you can, find somebody who is just a bit stronger and faster than you. That way, they’ll be more likely to know the ropes, to know what works and doesn’t. Besides, such a person will push you harder than somebody who’s a step slower or a few reps weaker than you are.
Finally, make sure they have a good sense of humor. When that next mile or that next set of reps begins to seem like a cruel joke, it can be great to have someone there who can lighten up the mood with a laugh.
As it turns out, Miss Price from second grade had a pretty good idea after all.
