Most of us work out daily and are ready to accept new challenges every day. But, have you ever considered working out with your significant other? If not, then you should now. Why do it alone when you can do it together and share all the health benefits?
As the saying goes;
“Couples who sweat together, stay together.”
Working out together can benefit both of you in many significant ways. So, don’t waste time thinking and get on it. Here are some benefits and goals you can achieve by working out with your partner.
1. Accountability
It’s not easy to get up every day and push yourself to workout, especially when you have to do it alone. Working out with your partner will make it easier for you.
You are most likely to get out of bed for the workout when your partner is already up and ready to go. He/she will provide accountability, and you are less likely to skip a workout, even on the days when you do not feel like leaving your room.
2. Increased Happiness in a Relationship
According to some studies, couples who start working out together report being happier and satisfied with their relationship. Exercise being an invigorating activity, have major positive effects on individuals. The effects double up when you share the same fitness goal with someone and even more when that someone is your partner. It’s not hard to set fitness goals with your partner – you can go for runs together or simply have a unique date night (at the gym, obviously).
These same fitness goals will improve not only your health but also your relationship and its goals.
3. A Better and Stronger Emotional Bond
When you work out with your partner, a rhythm is created. A “nonverbal matching” creates a stronger emotional bond between the two that helps them feel attuned with each other. People who experience and engage in the same workout routines with their partners have reported better and stronger bonding with each other.
4. Easier to Achieve the Fitness Goals
When two people are committed to each other’s fitness goals, it is easier and more likely for them to actually achieve them. It is human nature to work better when there is someone to support and motivate you. Studies have shown that average-weight men who set fitness goals work to achieve the goals better when their wives/girlfriends offer supportive and motivating comments.
Moreover, they do even better when their partners accompany them in daily workouts, e.g., running, jogging, bike rides, or Zumba classes.
5. Greater Efficiency of Workouts
In social psychology, there is a concept that says;
“The mere presence of someone else affects your ability to do an activity.”
Even if you are already a person who feels great while doing exercise, working out with your partner will only do you good. While working out with your significant other, you will feel more energized, and the energy output will also boost. The presence of your partner will enhance the speed and efficiency of your workout. Sometimes, you wouldn’t even feel that the boost in energy you are feeling is because of your partner’s presence.
Note: Learn a particular exercise alone, master it, and then bring your partner along for an energy and performance boost.
How to Start a Workout Routine with Your Partner?
After knowing all these amazing benefits of working out together, you must be thinking, “how do I start working out with him/her?” Well, here are the best ways:
Agree on Shared Goals
If both of you work out, but one trains for a half marathon, while the other goes for Zumba classes, your goals might be too different.
Richard Kerrigan, a health coach, says, “You both have to be on the same page and motivated.”
Discuss and decide on one routine and goal that will work for both of you. See what exercise and routine you both are willing to carry on for achieving the fitness goal. When you have decided on that shared goal, you are good to go for the next steps.
Plan Your Whole Routine
Plan and decide the time of your mutual workout. Make sure you agree upon a time when both of you have free time (20-30 minutes). After you have planned the timing, it’s time to plan the workout.
You can follow a specific workout routine by an expert or create one of your own.
Start with 10s of everything; 10 squats, 10situps, 10 pushups, 10 lunges (each leg), etc. Now, go 5 rounds of this whole workout. That’s it, that’s the workout for both of you. Make variations in it regularly to keep the challenge up. As we all know, if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.
Try Regular Routine of Your Partner
Other than the shared workout routine, try out your partner’s regular routine too. Trying out new things can be very helpful. For instance, if your partner loves yoga and you are a person who does weight training, it might be an excellent idea for you to try yoga.
There are times when the body needs to experience something new. You are doing a favor to your body by trying something new and relaxing. This way, you might even find something that excites you more than what you are already doing.
Challenge and Motivate Each Other
Don’t just go on with the same routine daily, do exciting things, challenge, motivate and push each other. Start recording the number of workouts you both do in a week. Ask each other how many minutes did they work out for? Try new things and tell each other what’s right and what’s wrong with their workout.
Drawbacks
Nothing is perfect, and there are always some drawbacks to everything; the same is the case with couple workouts. Here are some drawbacks you might face while sticking to couple workouts:
- You might miss your “me” time.
- The fitness levels of partners can be different, which can cause trouble.
- The results will vary; one might get the results faster than the other. This can cause demotivation and disappointment.
So, what can you do to not face these drawbacks too much?
- Workout together on weekdays and alone on weekends, or vice versa.
- For different fitness levels, you can try new workout routines that suit the fitness levels of both of you.
- About the different results, you don’t need to compare your body with your partner’s. All bodies are different, and they are not bound to show the same results.
Conclusion
Shared fitness goals and workouts are beneficial for fitness freaks, who are also in love with each other. Add fitness goals to your relationship goals and see the difference. You will have something new to do with your loved one every day and, of course, another reason to be a little clingy and spend more quality time with your partner. So, when are you guys going to hit the gym together?