It Takes Two
Partnering to Achieve Fitness Goals

Each year, as some of us release a notch on our belts to relieve the pressure from holiday overeating, a new pressure emerges: The quest to become a better person: Stronger, fitter, faster, healthier, happier.

Change is hard. Launching an exercise program requires commitment. It insists that we become (and remain) motivated. It means setting a realistic goal.

Many of us find we can’t do it alone. We need help. A walking coach to demonstrate proper form, a personal trainer who pushes us to do just...one...more...rep, a Pilates or yoga instructor who encourages us to be in the moment.
Paying a professional to get us started is one solution, but it might not do the trick. When life gets in the way of our best intentions, it’s easy to blow off a class or reschedule an appointment.

That’s why coaches and instructors suggest working out with a buddy: Spouse or friend, co-worker or acquaintance, when two people share a common goal, both win. A workout partner is a built-in cheerleader, someone who gently applies the pressure you need to get your belt notched back where it belongs.

Yoga for Two
By Nina Pileggi

When I was a little girl, I was never afraid to try anything. I threw myself at gymnastics, cross country, baton twirling, pottery, and swimming. My mother told me how I wasn’t the least bit worried about setting off for a week of Campfire Girls camp without a friend. I would get on the bus without looking back and never feel the slightest bit homesick. This independent mind-set has served me well as I have pursued my most enduring passion, yoga.

Still, for many of us, the key to thriving in new endeavors and continuing as challenges pop up is to have the camaraderie and support of a partner. A training partner can provide a push when you’re dragging and give you someone with whom to celebrate your progress and accomplishments. A training partner
“gets you to the yoga mat.”

I’d like to share with you some of the amazing training partners I have had the honor to teach at my yoga center. Although these students may not think of themselves as training partners, each of the relationships I describe below has provided support, encouragement, and growth.

Kelly* and Susan first came to class about three years ago. They were long-time co-workers, and it was clear from their banter that they were also close friends. Susan made it plain that she wasn’t so sure about this idea of yoga and made many jokes in class to cover her uncertainty. But they kept coming to class – almost always together. If one was out of the town, the other wouldn’t attend.

Kelly and Susan continued to attend level 1 (beginning) class for the next three years. I always encourage my students to move on to level 2 when they are ready, and whenever I mentioned this possibility to Kelly and Susan, their response was “We have found our home in level 1.”

However, as they kept attending level 1 classes, I could see the realization of their progress come over them – I didn’t need to spend as much time helping them, they could feel the opening come in their bodies, and they could clearly see that they knew more than the newer students.

At last, with my encouragement, they made the leap to level 2. There they continue to grow and learn and encourage each other. An added bonus to their growth is that now they are more likely to attend class on their own. Their initial team approach has given them the gift of a regular yoga practice.

This next set of training partners is a husband and wife team. Karen started her yoga journey by herself. She would occasionally drop in to take a class and then began attending classes on a weekly basis. One day she showed up with her husband. Mike was an accomplished runner and interested in seeing what yoga could do for his running. Soon after Mike started yoga, they began attending classes twice a week. When I encouraged them to join the level 2 classes, they made the switch. Their mutual interest in yoga intensified, and they also attended weekend workshops and pranayama (breath work) classes.

I now count Mike as one of my most dedicated and keen students, thanks to his wife’s initial encouragement. Mike and Karen have found a healthy activity they can share for the rest of their lives.

Recently, I also had the inspiration of a training partner myself. In my quest to deepen my yoga practice and teaching skills, I undertook studying, and then testing for, a higher level of teaching credentials. My yoga friend from Seattle and I agreed to work together (over a distance of 200 miles) to attain our goal. This strategy boosted our confidence, and we both passed the teaching test last fall.

With a training partner to sustain you, you have a great foundation for personal growth and accountability.

Nina Pileggi is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher and is the owner and director of Sunset Yoga Center, located in Beaverton, OR. She can be reached at www.sunsetyoga.com or 503-626-6245.

Make It Personal
By Kate Fischer

Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to redesign an old workout routine, personal training can provide the motivating environment for you to reach your goals.

Erika Hanselman Green, fitness coordinator at Oregon State University, notes that personal trainers “help the client design a program that will help them be successful by understanding their past successes and failures” and moving them forward with both realistic and measurable goals.

Personal trainers also serve as a source of external motivation for clients. They enhance your accountability to exercise and improve the likelihood you will stick to your new program. You’re less likely to hit the snooze button at 6 am when you know someone is waiting for you at the gym. Working with a personal trainer is all about creating a better you, and that’s a reason to stay motivated, even on the coldest, rainiest, darkest days.

Angela Peterson* and her husband, Mark, work with a personal trainer twice a week. “If we decided to train by ourselves at home, we would find ways not to train, sit in front of the computer, or say we are too busy. Working with a trainer, you can’t stand them up, so you may go grumbling, but you feel good once you get there,” she says.

Oftentimes, a too-eager start can lead to injury, fatigue, or burnout. That’s another area where personal trainers can help. They keep you on a healthy and appropriate track, further increasing the likelihood for your continued success.
Trainers can identify when a workout is too difficult for you and take immediate steps to modify or adapt the exercise to your skill level. This prevents injuries, overtraining, or ineffective training. They also know when to take you to the next level — keeping it exciting, fun, and challenging.

Peterson is in her 50s and says she is amazed by how strong she has become. She is proud of what she and her husband have accomplished. Personal training can be effective for individuals of any age or ability; you can achieve success at any age.

Education and experience are the criteria you should use in choosing a personal trainer. Ask where the trainer got her training: Certification is available from organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE), and an advanced degree in disciplines such as health promotion, wellness, or exercise physiology indicates a broader background in the field. Experience is important, so ask how long the trainer has been in business, how many clients she has had, and if she has references. If you have specific injuries or ailments, the trainer you choose should have a background in designing appropriate workouts.

Kate Fischer, RD, LD, is co-owner of Alameda Fitness Center, a new community-oriented fitness facility in Northeast Portland. She is also currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology through Oregon State University. Contact Kate at katefischer23@gmail.com.

Moving Together
By Shelly Stephenson

It is so much easier sometimes, especially during the long dark months of winter, to curl up lazily on the couch with a book or a favorite TV program than it is to find the motivation to get out of the house and do something for your body. Knowing that an instructor is waiting for you at the gym or the fitness studio can make it a little easier to get moving. That goes double if a loved one or a friend waits for you, too.

For years now I have given Pilates lessons to couples – husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, and even best friends – who work out together. I know from both observation and experience that people who exercise with a partner or group have an added element of community that is a valuable motivator.

Partners are more likely to show up and work out in the first place. If one partner is reluctant to put on a coat and hat and head out in the rain, the other will help coax her out. The roles are often reversed the following week. Clients of mine who are walkers and who have regular walking partners are by far the most consistent in their walks.

At times our Pilates studio seems to double as a fitness matchmaking studio. Margo* and Jennifer, for instance, are two people you might never expect to see together. One is a sharp-tongued former stand-up comedian, the other a gentle and kind full-time mother. They met because each wanted to save money by taking semi-private lessons instead of privates. Now they’re the dynamic duo. Neither one ever shows up to work out without the other, and they’ve been doing it every week for three years.

Group classes also often bind people together. When there are four students and one instructor, regular clients develop a kinship over time. Pilates class becomes a team meeting as well as a workout. A regular warm “hello” and “how was your week?” can be almost, but not quite, as good for you as the workout itself.

Shelly Stephenson has been teaching and learning Pilates for 15 years. She has worked with people who are dealing with fibromyalgia, obesity, arthritis, athletic/dance injuries, and chronic laziness. She can be reached at 503-248-4483 or shelly@bibpilates.net.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.