Workout Partners Boost Motivation

Summer has come and gone, and with it, so has many peoples’ primary motivation for working out - vanity. So many of us begin in the spring with hopes of achieving our dreams of having a beach body - looking ultra hot in a bikini or showing off a chiseled six pack. I am really not sure what motivational goals people set in the fall, unless they are gearing up for next summer, which brings up an interesting fitness topic - what keeps people motivated? What makes them get up and go to the gym?

Buzzle.com states that there are two distinct types of motivational goals when it comes to working out - long term and short term. Long term dreams tend to be more along the line of fantasy; a big picture of what you’re hoping to ultimately accomplish, i.e. a beach body by next summer.

A short term goal is something immediate - something which makes you get off of the internet right now so you don’t miss a workout. Short term motivation is usually harder to find, as it requires work in real time. A good training partner or personal trainer may be the best motivators for some people, as they don’t want to waste their partner’s time (or their own money) by not showing up at the gym. For people like me, competition is an awesome motivator - I know there is someone out there training to beat me, so I must train harder than that person.

This article on hesfit lists some other sources of motivation. Whatever your reason(s), make sure that they keep you motivated and push you towards your long term goal, and with a little persistence, that dream of yours will become a reality.

Written by: Donnell Peavy