I've had a ton of workout buddies throughout the years, but there have only been two who have never bailed on me -- my dogs, Yuki and Rudi. Any time of day, no matter what the weather, all I have to do is say (or spell, even) the word "walk" and they're at the door, ready to go.

Maybe you have a fit Fido of your own, or, maybe you've got a furry bundle of joy who likes to lick you like crazy when you get back from the gym (you know, to reward you for all of your hard work). Or, perhaps you have a fluffball who likes nothing more than to cuddle on the couch, and thinks fitness is for the birds (heck, maybe you're a bird person -- I don't know your life!).

Whether you have pets or just love animals, there's a new site you need to check out -- our new sister site, Paw Nation, is live and it is fantastic. There are adorable slide shows, great tips and advice and, of course, some celebrity scoop (what site would be complete without it?). So, once you've checked out all the new diet and fitness news here at That's Fit, head on over to Paw Nation. Smiling and laughing burn calories, right?

Source

Welcome to Walking the Walk, a feature that takes a deeper look at commonly shared diet and fitness advice. Every other week, I'll choose one piece of advice and practice it for seven days. Then I'll report back on what I discovered about making it work in real life and how it affected my own personal fitness -- and how it ultimately can affect your own efforts.

Starting an exercise routine is easy, it's maintaining one that causes many people trouble. One of the most common pieces of fitness advice is to find a friend -- a fitness friend, that is -- so that you're accountable to someone other than yourself to show up for that workout.

It's reasonable advice. If you've made a date with yourself for a 6 a.m. morning run, it's pretty easy to roll over and hit the snooze. But if you know your fitness buddy is standing outside, stretching and warming up, it's a lot harder to say no.

But fitness buddies offer more than accountability, they also might extend the length of your workouts. According to a recent study from the University of California at San Diego, people who were well matched with a fitness partner worked out longer. The trick is finding the right workout partner, because that same study found that exercising with someone fitter actually caused people to cut their workouts short.

Accountability, emotional support and enhanced workout? Sign me up! My plan this week is to convince a friend to commit to seven days in a row of shared workouts.

Day 5: We both have time for a workout today, but not at the same time. This is when waking up before the alarm and getting our workout in would have come in handy. But we didn't do that, so we've made a plan instead. We can't work out together, but we can still be accountable to each other for exercising.

After I finish a fitness DVD in my living room, which completely kicks my butt, I send her a quick email. Later on in the day, I get a voice mail from her telling me she finished a short run. "Did it!" she said. "Good for you. Good for us," I think to myself.

I've got a "virtual" fitness buddy this week too, That's Fit blogger Kristen Seymour and I are keeping tabs on each other's workouts. If you can't think of anyone local you'd like to break a sweat with every day, try a virtual buddy for emotional support.

Day 3: I'm not comfortable walking in the dark by myself, even with my trusty old dog by my side. But having a workout buddy has opened up my options for walking.

Today, our alarms went off before our kids and husbands could even think about starting their days and took a nice long walk. The frigid arctic blast brisk spring air woke me up, and it was refreshing to have all that exercise under my belt before breakfast. It really set the tone for the day. Not only that, but later in the afternoon, when I usually would have taken a walk, I had time for some arm and abs work. Bonus!

Getting up early is a relatively easy way to eliminate the "I don't have time" excuse, but it's a tough one for me. My alarm goes off at 6:45 as it is. But I really loved the way I felt today, so it's something to consider.

Day 7: OK, I'm going to state the obvious here: Seven days a week spent with a workout buddy who is not your BFF or your soul mate is too many. And even then, I'm dubious. We're both clearly getting tired of this routine and of trying to accommodate each other's schedules.

But I knew that going in. Seven days is a big commitment. The good news is that we're going to keep this up one or two days a week, and I'm really looking forward to that. It's fun being able to have some girl time, and it's motivating to push each other to step up our pace or to walk a little farther.

If you think committing to one or several workouts a week with a workout buddy would improve your exercise routine, here are some tips to get you started:

• Seek out a compatible partner -- someone with similar goals, a similar fitness level, someone who'll be encouraging and supportive.
• Look outside your home. Sure, it might be fun exercising with your hubby, but if it means you feel like every bite you take is being policed, it might not be good for your relationship.
• Pick someone who isn't judgmental. The best workout partners are strong, supportive and honest, but never make you feel bad about yourself.
• Look for a friend who's as motivated as you are. While you can expect to have to push your friend now and then, if you're carrying all the weight of the relationship, your own motivation might start to wane.
• Check out local walking, running and cycling groups for like-minded friends, or post a note on your gym's bulletin board.
• Find alternative friends. If you absolutely can not find a real, in-person buddy to workout with, turn to a furry friend (check out these safety tips first), your iPhone, or a virtual community.

Have you ever had a workout buddy? What kinds of tips and tricks can you share with our readers to make this healthy habit stick?

Got a Walking the Walk idea you'd like to see Bethany try for seven days? Share it with us in comments!

Do you have a list of celebrities you'd like to work out with? I definitely do. I think it would be cool to do some watersports with Cameron Diaz, and I'd love to go for a run with Matthew McConnaughey. You know, because he's a good runner. No other reason there. Nope.

Anyway, I think I might have to add our new First Lady, Michelle Obama, to the list. I mean, she is dedicated, and I'm always so impressed with people who are able to fit in fitness when life gets crazy. And who's had a crazier couple of years than the Obamas?

AOL Health has an excellent rundown of Michelle's fitness routine, touching on how early she's been know to hit the gym (I'm sorry, 4:30 a.m. isn't morning -- that's still night to me!) and what her friends have to say about her (like, she's a gladiator). Get the whole scoop here, then, come back and vote in the poll below.

For the first time, ever, my husband and I are both trying to lose weight, and I am amazed at how much easier it is to eat healthfully and find time for a workout when I have a partner in crime. I knew having a workout buddy was helpful -- I take full advantage any time one of my friends goes on a fitness kick -- but having the person with whom you live share your goals? It's phenomenal.

Of course, that's not always possible -- sometimes, you have to seek out a workout partner. And, if you're in the process of looking for a new one, Go Healthy Go Fit has three tips for finding the right one.

For one thing, look for someone with a similar schedule -- I've gotten some great midday workouts in with a friend who also works from home. Then, make sure you have the same goals, whether those goals are weight loss, running faster or gaining muscle. Finally, make sure you're both equally dedicated -- it's no fun if one of you is constantly forcing the other one to work out!

Source