Sometimes keeping a consistent exercise routine can be hard work, it can be easy for training schedules to slip and other life activities to get in the way or be an excuse not to work out.

A wonderful way to keep yourself motivated is to train with your partner or a friend.
When you've made an appointment to meet up with someone, it feels easier to keep the arrangement somehow. Nobody wants to feel as if they have let a friend down and it is a really great way to motivate and encourage one another. A bit of healthy competition will only push you to train harder, making you fitter and keeping your motivation high.
A workout when done alone can easily be cut short with a “That will do for today” attitude. We have all done that at some point but try again tomorrow doesn't get great results!

Some practical advice would be to write your weekly workout schedule straight into your diary. This way it wont feel as easy to do something else as you have not only made the commitment to yourself but also your workout buddy.

Running with a partner can be a great motivator, you can tailor a week of running based on different sessions:

• One long slow base run, great for fat burning! Aim to get up to about 30 mins-1 hour (depending on fitness level) and work at a pace that is comfortable enough that you can both easily chat at the same time. This way you will know your level is low enough.
• The second session would be interval based, either find a nice long hill and use this as your effort, or you can just increase your pace for minute efforts, recovering also for one minute. These sessions will help your legs get used to a change of pace and push your fitness levels..
  
  
  Be sure to warm up, cool down and stretch after each session to ensure you stay injury free.

Circuits:

This style of training can be done in the local park. It is a fantastic option for getting you both outside and keeping motivation high. Set yourself 6-8 stations each with a different exercise, keep the choices simple and time each station with a stop watch for one minute, start with using options such as;

• Hopping on the spot
• Star jumps
• Lunges
• Squats
• Low level planks
• Sit ups
• Oblique crunches
• Shuttle runs
• Skipping

When partner training the options are endless, thinking outside the box for activities can be a lot of fun. An option such as climbing is great as two people are needed to learn the ropes as it were! Rowing and kayaking are both a lovely way to train too, being outside on the water can be really stimulating. You can always take a healthy picnic and make an adventure day of it!

Cycling is a great sport for partner training, whether you ride at a low level or you are at competition standard, you can chat and motivate each other no end. Why not set yourself a goal to build up to like riding to the nearest coast. You can stop for something to eat and get the train back home! London to Brighton is always a fun race to do, all standards and ages take part making it a great day out.

Be sensible with initial training goals, train smart and be consistent without over doing it. Always warm your body up prior to exercise work on your flexibility to insure good posture and mostly have fun getting fitter.