Get Yourself a Workout Partner

A not-so-secret symptom of pregnancy is feeling like crap!  My nausea has been up and down so far, but the exhaustion is constant.  I hadn't left the house in over three days, so overwhelmed with tiredness, and feeling like the pit of my stomach was in my throat.  Blech!

But something got me out of the house today, and it certainly wasn't my overwhelming desire to be fit and healthy.  It was knowing that I obligated myself to lead a Stroller Aerobics every Wednesday morning.  I missed last week because of physical concerns with the pregnancy (which turned out to be nothing.)  So while I wanted to stay on the couch (again) today, I put on my workout clothes, ate some toast to soothe the belly, and grabbed my ginger hard candies.  I wanted to turn around a million times, but once I saw my friends there, I knew I had made the right decision.  I did ask someone else to lead the group, but I was there.  And even crazier is that I felt great once it was all over!

Having someone or a small group to workout with is such a huge key to your overall success.  It's a painful truth, but we have no problem letting ourselves down.  But the flip side is we find it terribly hard to let others down.  So one way to ensure your commitment to yourself is to find a reliable outside person to commit to.  

Some things to keep in mind:

• Choose someone who is reliable, not someone who will be skipping out for a million reasons or will be talking you into a trip to Dairy Queen instead of a morning walk.
  
• Keep your workout location convenient for both of you, as this will eliminate excuses for not showing up.  
  
• It's helpful if you and your partner are of similar physical shape - so that one isn't ready to run a mile while the other is barely walking around the block.
  
• Remember that you're getting together to workout, and to push each other to achieve better health - any conversation is bonus!
  

If you don't automatically know who to ask, here are a few ideas:

• Ask neighbors, friends, church members if anyone is interested - you may be surprised who is looking for the same thing as you.
  
• Check out Meetup.com to see if there's a local workout group in your area.  If not, consider starting one if you're feeling ambitious (this is how FitMommas of St. Peters was started.)
  
• Try to match up with a fitness partner using a site like Exercise Friends, or posting an ad on Craigslist.
  
• You can always post a small flyer at the local library or grocery store bulletin board.
  

Hopefully once you find a partner to commit to, you'll find it easier to commit to yourself as well!