Once you have established a workout-buddy partnership (or team), it’s important to plan your activities together.
“Try sitting down over coffee or tea to create a weekly calendar of activities,” advises Annie Kragness, Life Time’s director of healthy aging. “You can even go as far as planning transportation and wake-up calls, if necessary.”
She offers these tips for supporting your partner and maximizing your time together:
1. Be on time and stick to the schedule. Part of being accountable is showing up on time. You don’t want to make your partner wait for you or throw off their schedule for the day.
2. Set goals together. Discuss your goals openly and encourage each other to take steps forward. When you’re aware of each other’s goals, you’re then able to choose the activities that make the most sense to do together.
3. Push your partner. If your partner is feeling tired or unmotivated, offer some gentle encouragement and reinforce their efforts by cheering them on.
4. Encourage rest days. Taking time to recover after your workouts allows your body to grow stronger — and helps you avoid setbacks. If you think your partner might be overdoing it, suggest a more restorative activity or schedule a day off.
5. Keep tabs on each other. Support your partner through all aspects of their life, from illness to travel and other routine-breakers. This will make it easier to get back on track if one of you needs to take a break.
6. Be adventurous. While it’s easy to get stuck in a routine, working out with friends can help embolden you to try new things. At Life Time, you can explore signature group training programs and studio, cycle, and yoga classes, water walk together in the pool, or take up a low-impact sport like pickleball or tennis.
7. Enjoy one another. Talk about topics other than fitness goals and your workout routine. The more you know about your partner, the stronger your bond will be.
