Buddy Up
Time once again to make that New Year’s Resolution. Many of us will resolve to get in shape, lose weight, eat better, or make some other life style change for the better. Some of us will make the same resolutions we made last year. This year, I have the added incentive to go to the gym. I have to rehabilitate a knee that I just had surgery on. My resolution includes joining a gym, just like many of you.
20 plus years ago, I was a regular at the local YMCA in San Francisco. I would hit the gym to lift weights, attend a cardio class, play some volleyball, or do any number of activities. I was there at least four days a week, often five days, and sometimes six. This went on for several years. Then one day, we bought a house in the suburbs, and started making babies. The gym routine soon came to an end.
Since then, I have had several memberships in gyms that have not worked out. I start out going on a regular basis for a few weeks, but then just stop going after a while. The last time I joined a gym, the salesman showed me around, then took me into that little room to fill out the paperwork. After I was done, I took one last look around the gym. I got a little teary eyed because I knew I would never see the inside of that gym again.
What went wrong? How come I used to be a regular gym rat, and now I can’t stick to it for more than a month? Lots of things have changed, but I still have this desire to stay in shape. What is different about me now that makes me lose my motivation? The answer is that it is not me, it is who I am hanging around with. All those years ago, I had a group of buddies that I would meet up with at the gym. We would work out together. If one of us missed a couple of days, we would call him up and find out what was going on. That buddy system worked. It was not a formal arrangement, but it was what I needed. Now, I try to go it alone. Going it alone did not work.
So this year, I am going back to what I know worked before. I am trying to find a buddy to join a gym with me, or better yet, find a buddy that is already going to a gym, and join his gym. We can set specific times to go to the gym, and make it a priority. When I start slipping, I am going to count on getting a phone call chastising me.
I have to admit, this idea is not all my own. Last week, You Docs wrote a column about using the buddy system for sticking to a diet. http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/07/1906905/secret-to-successful-weight-loss.html That got me started. I also thought about it and I have been pretty good about the morning jog for several years. It is my dog that is really good about encouraging me to head out every morning, no matter what the weather. Also, I played on an adult soccer team for years. The team manager sent e-mails encouraging everybody to show up for the game every week. Obviously, I respond to encouragement, even very little encouragement.
So this might be the answer to keeping that New Year’s Resolution to improve your health. Find a buddy to join the gym with you. Have a dieting partner. Get a group of friends to start a healthy eating club. Find a walking partner. Heck, find a friend and both of you give up smoking. But it isn’t just a matter of meeting at a specific place at a specific time. It means providing support for each other. It means encouraging each other to keep on schedule, to improve every week, and be in it for the long haul. If you have a diet buddy, call each other up a couple times a week to check in. Encourage each other at all times. When you fall off the diet, start smoking, or miss a couple of work outs, a good buddy will know what it takes to get you to start all over again. If you are like me, it will only take a little encouragement.
Past Topics
Headaches and Jaw Pain
Leg Injuries
Pregnancy Woes
Core Stabilization
Shoulders
Case Studies
For copies of these news letters, contact info@pt180boise.com.
To Learn More About Us Contact Us Today At 208-343-7700!
Time once again to make that New Year’s Resolution. Many of us will resolve to get in shape, lose weight, eat better, or make some other life style change for the better. Some of us will make the same resolutions we made last year. This year, I have the added incentive to go to the gym. I have to rehabilitate a knee that I just had surgery on. My resolution includes joining a gym, just like many of you.
20 plus years ago, I was a regular at the local YMCA in San Francisco. I would hit the gym to lift weights, attend a cardio class, play some volleyball, or do any number of activities. I was there at least four days a week, often five days, and sometimes six. This went on for several years. Then one day, we bought a house in the suburbs, and started making babies. The gym routine soon came to an end.
Since then, I have had several memberships in gyms that have not worked out. I start out going on a regular basis for a few weeks, but then just stop going after a while. The last time I joined a gym, the salesman showed me around, then took me into that little room to fill out the paperwork. After I was done, I took one last look around the gym. I got a little teary eyed because I knew I would never see the inside of that gym again.
What went wrong? How come I used to be a regular gym rat, and now I can’t stick to it for more than a month? Lots of things have changed, but I still have this desire to stay in shape. What is different about me now that makes me lose my motivation? The answer is that it is not me, it is who I am hanging around with. All those years ago, I had a group of buddies that I would meet up with at the gym. We would work out together. If one of us missed a couple of days, we would call him up and find out what was going on. That buddy system worked. It was not a formal arrangement, but it was what I needed. Now, I try to go it alone. Going it alone did not work.
So this year, I am going back to what I know worked before. I am trying to find a buddy to join a gym with me, or better yet, find a buddy that is already going to a gym, and join his gym. We can set specific times to go to the gym, and make it a priority. When I start slipping, I am going to count on getting a phone call chastising me.
I have to admit, this idea is not all my own. Last week, You Docs wrote a column about using the buddy system for sticking to a diet. http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/07/1906905/secret-to-successful-weight-loss.html That got me started. I also thought about it and I have been pretty good about the morning jog for several years. It is my dog that is really good about encouraging me to head out every morning, no matter what the weather. Also, I played on an adult soccer team for years. The team manager sent e-mails encouraging everybody to show up for the game every week. Obviously, I respond to encouragement, even very little encouragement.
So this might be the answer to keeping that New Year’s Resolution to improve your health. Find a buddy to join the gym with you. Have a dieting partner. Get a group of friends to start a healthy eating club. Find a walking partner. Heck, find a friend and both of you give up smoking. But it isn’t just a matter of meeting at a specific place at a specific time. It means providing support for each other. It means encouraging each other to keep on schedule, to improve every week, and be in it for the long haul. If you have a diet buddy, call each other up a couple times a week to check in. Encourage each other at all times. When you fall off the diet, start smoking, or miss a couple of work outs, a good buddy will know what it takes to get you to start all over again. If you are like me, it will only take a little encouragement.
Past Topics
Headaches and Jaw Pain
Leg Injuries
Pregnancy Woes
Core Stabilization
Shoulders
Case Studies
For copies of these news letters, contact info@pt180boise.com.
To Learn More About Us Contact Us Today At 208-343-7700!
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