Exercises that fit

Pamela Barnett of Vienna has an exercise friend, a neighbor she jogs with at a local track. She says working out with someone else helps time pass quickly. Otherwise, she says, she might be tempted to be a couch potato.

“It’s hard to change your mind at the last minute, if there’s someone there to meet you,” Ms. Barnett says. “It also makes it more fun.”

Maintaining motivation is the key to exercising regularly. Those people who try to get into shape and become discouraged need to find ways to entice themselves to keep trying.

A workout partner can be found online, says Patrick McCluskey, president of ExerciseFriends.com, based in Austin, Texas, with offices in McLean and San Diego. Ms. Barnett used the free service to meet her jogging buddy.

After moving to California a few years ago, Mr. McCluskey left behind his gym friends — and gained 30 pounds.

Because he met his fiancee online, he says he decided he should be able to meet people interested in exercising the same way. When he searched the Internet, however, he couldn’t find a comparable service. So he decided to start his own.

“It’s a well-known fact that one of the top 10 motivators of being healthy is exercising with a friend,” Mr. McCluskey says. “Not everyone can afford a personal trainer, but they want friendly motivation.”

Although the Web site is not a dating service, it similarly matches people with appropriate exercise partners, he says.

Everyone from fitness freaks to first-time exercisers can find a buddy. The site matches people interested in 111 sports, including walking, running, tennis, cycling, snowshoeing, badminton and bowling.

It even lists organized group events, like softball games and hiking excursions. Also, mothers with infants who walk together with their strollers through the neighborhood have met via the Web site, he says.

“There have been people who have lost 30 pounds,” Mr. McCluskey says. “It carries over into other parts of their lives. Now they are sharing healthy recipes with each other.”

A new habit takes at least three months to establish, says Maria Johns, wellness director at the YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase in Bethesda.

Finding an enjoyable activity ensures that people will stick with it, she says.

“You’re not going to run if you’re not a runner,” Mrs. Johns says. “If it’s walking, then walk. If it’s swimming, then swim. If it’s none of the above, find something that is tolerable, like adults work out using exercise balls.

If out-of-shape women are nervous to exercise beside male bodybuilders they might want to try an all-female gym, says Elvi Moore, owner of Curves in Northwest, which offers fitness programs designed for women. The programs involve strength training, cardiovascular training and resistance machines.

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