Having a workout buddy can make a big difference for people seeking to lose weight and get fit. After all, dieting and exercising can feel very lonely when you are attempting to do it all on your own. A workout buddy might be someone who is a personal friend of yours who shares your health goals of losing weight or maintaining weight loss and/or getting toned and into better shape.

A workout buddy can actually play several different roles in your life. She (or he) can function as your primary support system as you go about trying to lose weight and get toned, cheering you on when you achieve any little victories and boosting your spirits whenever you experience plateaus or setbacks, as you inevitably will at certain points on your weight loss journey. (This is not to say that all of the other people in your life won’t also be cheering you on in your weight loss efforts, only that your workout buddy can play a central role in this endeavor.)

In some cases, a personal trainer can function as your professional workout buddy. Now of course this is a service that you would pay for, making it quite different from simply getting together with a good friend to work out. The two of you (that is, your professional trainer and yourself) will work out together (for a fee) and your personal trainer/workout buddy will cheer you on and also push you to go further and further to achieve more and more of your goals. If this arrangement strikes you as too formal and/or too intense, you might be better off with a more informal arrangement, such as working out with a good friend.

Some people like to work out with their spouses or significant others, whereas others prefer to work out with trainers or friends. If your spouse or significant other is “on the same page” with you in terms of working toward achieving weight loss goals and developing effective workout strategies this can be a very effective plan indeed. It can even bring you closer together as a couple because the two of you will be working together as a team toward a shared goal.

Regardless of whether you work out with your spouse or partner or a good friend or a professional trainer, what’s important is that you are taking your weight loss goals seriously and you are taking an additional step in holding yourself accountable by including a workout buddy in the process.

After all, there will probably be some days when you feel like giving up on your workouts. And your workout buddy will be there to remind you that you can do it, that you have what it takes to achieve your weight loss goals. Sometimes the support of a good friend who will do everything in his or her power to keep you motivated is all that you really need to help get you where you want to go.