Walking the Walk - The Verdict

It's time to decide -- is this a healthy habit that can be realistically worked into day-to-day life?

• Piece of cake! I can definitely work this into my daily routine.
• Not my cup of tea. This is harder than I imagined. Still, I plan to stick with it and do my best.
• Nuts! This seems nearly impossible to keep up. But I'll definitely do it whenever possible.

I had a great time this week, and the benefits were noticeable immediately. I'm really good at denial -- as in, it's easy for me to deny that a plate of nachos has at least double the calories that I should be eating for dinner, and it's easy for me to say, "I'll exercise later." Having a workout buddy meant no more excuses, especially since she lives next door and can see into my kitchen window, so it's pretty hard to pretend like I'm not home.

It was nice pushing each other, too. Having someone there saying, "Just 10 more minutes," or "Let's pick up the pace," encouraged me to work harder, and I like to think I did the same for her.

I did miss solo workouts, though. I missed listening to music, which can inspire both a longer and faster workout for me. I love the idea of combining them both -- a few days a week with a friend, a few days solo.