Content
Context
With the current pandemic, it's not been easy to go to the gym. Wanting to stay healthy and not fall back into the trap of living a sedentary lifestyle, I decided to start working out from home again. In the past, working out in a gym intimidated me, so I did so at home instead. From that experience, I learnt that it's challenging to stay consistent at home, where working out can easily be brushed off.
So this time, when my friend asked if I wanted to work out with her virtually, I was more than willing to. Over a month has passed and I've come to realise that for me to be consistent in working out, I need to be held accountable and be motivated. Guess what, having a workout buddy does this perfectly!
Accountability
To me, it's alright to skip a workout, but I do struggle with getting back on track. I have a record of one missed session easily becoming many, to the point where I stop completely. Now with a buddy, whenever we miss one session, in the following session, one of us is sure to message the other to confirm we're working out that day. Considering how we have never missed a session consecutively, I believe this stands for how having someone to keep me accountable is crucial for me.
Motivation
I feel like this has been much content covering how having a buddy can motivate someone, but seldom from the perspective of someone who's too competitive for their own good aka me. Many a time, I have found myself in a situation, be it in studies or working out, where I begin to compete with a peer. This sounds natural and even a good way to motivate oneself but, I take it to an unhealthy level. When I find that I'm not doing as well as or better than the other person despite trying my best, I begin to have self-deprecating thoughts which eventually end up with me giving up and doing the bare minimum.
Considering this, you might be wondering why I even agreed to work out with my friend in the first place. Well, I thought it would be a good opportunity to tackle this bad habit of mine. Good news! I have become better by focusing on the workout and reminding myself that we're all on our own fitness journey. I've been able to control my competitiveness at a healthy level where it's become more of a source of motivation than an indication of my self-worth.
I do have my friend to thank for this as well. She, being aware of my bad habit, has been nothing but supportive and understanding throughout. This makes me believe that who your workout buddy is also matters, especially for someone like me, where working out with another competitive person would most probably have backfired.
Final Thoughts
In hindsight, I now realise why I had been quite consistent in going to the gym. Like having a workout buddy, paying for the membership, and potentially facing a cancellation fee for not attending a session, kept me accountable and motivated. From this, it seems that these two factors play a key role in influencing how consistently I work out. Additionally, it also shows that there are various ways to ensure their presence.
However, on the days I don't work out with my friend, I do struggle with accountability and motivation. I have since found a simple way to overcome this, that doesn't involve money or even having a buddy. Stay tuned to find out what it is!