Do you have a buddy?

Do you have a buddy?  I don't just mean someone you hang out with and drink beer, or go to movies with, but a workout buddy.    I was recently at the gym and had another thought that has helped me in my success so far.   

The more I thought about this the more I realized that having someone to talk about doing whatever your doing with helps.    Like my first post my whole weight loss journey started because of friends.   What different now is I have found a huge group of people to talk to about what I am doing and what they are doing.   The other thing I relized is that everyone I look at from the ameture to the proffesional has had someone there with them helping them along.  In some of the cases it is their trainers, coaches, nutrionists.  In others it has been family, friends, online buddies and co-workers.  

All of this came to be because a friend of mine has been doing more to get into shape.   He and I now frequent the gym as often as possible and we both realized that because we make a commitment to be at the gym together we feel we can't let the other one down by not showing up!  Instead of making and excuse to stay home and do something other than workout we meet and help each other push through our workouts.  When thinking of a buddy don't just think of someone you work out think of people you can talk to about it.  For example I have people I bike with that are different that I lift with that are different than those I run with.   I meet one of my sisters co-workers via email because he had some question my sister thought I could help with.   To this day we have never meet but share stories and help each other out via email   The great part is that the people I work out with don't see me at all or they don't see me all the time (which for them is probably a good thing for them) but the other thing is you get to have new conversations, listen to new stories, see how they have changed their routines.  

After all of those conversation are done I always seem to have something new to try.   That something could be a new food idea, a new workout type, or just motivation for a new personal best!     The co-worker I bike with made a comment about lifting that made a lot of sense so I have now started a lifting regiment that has change from my previous year!   

All and all I would argue that if you workout or are thinking about it find people that will support you!  Remember if someone has been working on it for a while don't feel like you can't talk to them think again.    I have been going for over a year and I love nothing more than trying to help those are getting started and talking to people who have been doing it much longer than I.   It's fun long term to share your successes and your failures.   It helps you learn and helps you get better.   


Good luck to all of you that are starting and hope this again is some insight to me.   If you are looking for support there is a huge online group to help so start there but I guarantee that if you look around your schools, offices, and community even a random person at the gym you will find someone that shares your story or struggle.  Find that person and I bet things will be more successful for you!