Sometimes it is hard to keep a healthy lifestyle, full of exercise and fit food, as it requires a lot of dedication and willpower. But having someone to share the journey with you makes everything easier. With a friend by your side, your motivation and commitment skyrocket. For example, it is easy for you to accept your own excuses (“oh, this has been such a looong day,” “I’m sooooo tired”). But you don’t want to let others down. Also, it makes training more fun, as you will have someone to share accomplishments.
The question, however, is: how can you convince someone to start? That is the hardest part!
But we are here for you. These are 7 ways to get someone to exercise with you.
Create a good environment.
The first thing you need to remember is that, ultimately, you can’t convince anyone to do anything: they need to convince themselves. That said, keep in mind that these are all ways to suggest a change, not to force a transformation. So, the first thing to do is to create an exercise-positive environment. You can do it by openly talking about start exercising and discuss needs and motivations. If you already your routine, share your story, how it felt in the beginning, and how that impacted you. But remember: don’t be judgemental, be inspiring.
Discuss the benefits.
The majority of people already know all of them, but it is always good to remember all the health benefits an active lifestyle can give to you. Heart disease, obesity, stress, osteoporosis, depression, blood pressure. All these conditions can be prevented with regular physical activities. And you can still add looking good, get in shape for a wedding, finally fitting that desired outfit. What you need to make clear is that it might feel awful, but a healthy lifestyle is full of gains.
Get a personal trainer
Not everyone can afford a personal trainer. But maybe the investment is more manageable if split in two? The point here is that having a PT will create a real commitment (since you are paying for it), and is also an excellent way to get educated and do the exercise right.
Make it social.
Exercise is not just about exercising. It is also a great social activity and a fantastic way to catch up with friends, or even make new ones. Think of the gym as your scheduled hour to meet with a friend. Isn’t that great?
Make it diverse and compromise.
Yes, you and your friend have different goals. And if that is the case, it’s time to compromise. Maybe you tweak your training program so he or she can join. Or you accept to try that weird Zumba class on a Thursday night. The point is that the exercise session must be fun for both of you, so you need to meet in the middle.
Engage in a competition.
We are all in for healthy competitions. And a friendly rivalry is a great way to push each other to maximize results. The critical point here is to set realistic goals for both of you. Maybe hitting the gym 15 times in a month? Or sum the 42km of a marathon first? It is up to you!
By the way, competition is a proven way to motivate and engage people. That is why we offer fantastic Health Challenges for companies, so your teams can be healthy and way more productive. Check them out!
Strike a deal
If you are not into competition, another way to motivate is to create a small reward system. Maybe you pay a dinner after a full month of 3 sessions per week? Or you take a weekend getaway if your spouse runs 10 km nonstop? Again, it's up to you.
Now that is up to you!
We hope that these 7 tips will help you to get a gym buddy. After all, the more people get healthy and active, the happier they are (and we love happy people). If you want to get your whole company active, that is a bigger challenge, though. But fear not! We can also help you with that, with a complete health platform. Just hit us with an email.