Fitness gurus harp on the idea that you should work out with friends. They help motivate you, keep you on track, supposedly. Tony Horton really talks this up during his workout DVDs.
Whatever.
I work out alone. That’s what keeps me on track.
I need the flexibility that being “single” allows me to have. For example, if I had planned to to work out at 10:00, but I end up in the middle of a task for a client around then, I can easily push it to 10:30 or 11:00. Not so easy to do if I need to coordinate the change with someone else.
Also, what am I going to do, invite a friend over here to get pumped up? I sure as hell ain’t going to anyone else’s place for a workout. Might as well join a gym, if I’m going to have to leave the house.
I guess I can understand the issue.
In the example above, I could very easily put the workout off, and put the workout off, until … it doesn’t get done at all. If I had someone counting on me to work out with him, well then….
But I don’t put the workout off. Do you know why? Because I have the best kind of motivation, the kind that comes from inside myself. I do these workouts for me, so I can feel and look better.
Getting into and staying in shape is just like anything else — you gotta wanna do it. Like quitting smoking. I quit so many times, but when I finally really wanted to do it, I did it. No problem. Never looked back.
Okay, well maybe you decide you do want a workout partner. You accept the idea that the workouts will take longer and that you are now at the mercy of her last-minute schedule changes. You’re cool with that. But what happens when that workout partner no longer can or wants to work out with you? Now what? You are lost. You have gotten into this routine where you and your buddy work out, and now you can’t do that. Failure is imminent.
So I choose to control my own destiny by working out by myself.
I’m not saying working out alone is right for everyone, but don’t think it can’t be done, and don’t use the fact that you have no one to work out with as an excuse for not going it alone.