Working out on a regular basis is beneficial by itself, but believe it or not, according to recent studies, working out with your romantic partner brings you into a whole new field of benefits. From reduced stress, better overall health and boosted confidence to strengthening your relationship and connecting even more with the one you love.
“Relationships and fitness go hand in hand,” says Amy Baglan, CEO and founder of MeetMindful.com. “They are both hard work but well worth it. A romantic relationship that is worth something is always going to be hard work, just like getting in shape and becoming healthier require time and effort.”
Baglan also explained that if you approach your relationships the same way you approach your fitness goals, there’s significant potential for you and your partner to form a better bond. And you know the saying: Couples that sweat together, stay together!
Moreover, Science has proven that exercise releases dopamine, a happiness-inducing neurotransmitter. What better time to be with your significant other than when you are happy, right?
Here are 10 reasons why you should start working out with your other half:
1. It makes you not quit!
“Research shows that 94 percent of couples stick with their fitness programs when they work out together,” says Jari Love, certified personal trainer and fitness DVD star. It’s because when you are working out with your partner, you will always give your best to impress him/her. It’s basic human nature and in case of fitness it’s the right way to go in order to achieve your goals.
Additionally, Shane Allen, a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist said that research has shown losing weight is easiest when you do it with someone else.
“What better person to do it with than your romantic partner? You can celebrate each other’s successes and help each other through struggles,” says Allen. “Some of the strongest relationships I’ve seen are those with people who exercise together. Common goals and shared routines are what help make a relationship, as well as our bodies, stronger.”
2. Constant motivation
By motivating each other to get up and go to the gym or whatever place you’ve chosen for your workout session, you’ll not only shake up your usual weeknight couch-wine-reality TV routine, but also you’ll be learning new things and sharing new experiences. Making such a life change is always easier when you have someone that will hold your hand when it gets hard and help you to keep ongoing. Couples really do serve as a source of support and motivation to each other. Maybe you want to up that weight and need someone by your side to assist you. Well, look no further because you basically have that person on speed dial.
3. Sweaty couple = Happy Couple
“Working out with your partner can create the feeling of a shared experience, which Psychology Today reports helps couples feel more satisfied with their relationships and more in love with their partner,” explains Jeana Anderson Cohen, an ACE certified personal trainer and founder of aSweatLife.com.
An ideal workout partner has several requisite qualities: He or she is someone you enjoy being around, a person who can accept and issue a challenge and understands your strengths and weaknesses. Sounds oddly like your significant other, doesn’t it? In fact, a healthy relationship and a healthy body have many similarities, so you might as well get your heart pounding with the person your heart aches for.
4. You’re on the same diet
Cooking and going out to eat is easy because you both want the healthiest, yet most fulfilling option possible. Have fun and try new things, go grocery shopping and prepare food together or if you are more of a going out type of couple, then choose the restaurant with a healthy menu and make it a date. Eating healthy is very important, but it can also be hard. There are just too many delicious treats out there that we shouldn’t be eating, but I understand the temptation, and so does your partner. Be strong together, support each other and it will be much easier to stay on that healthy diet.
5. Feedback is crucial
Working out with a partner is an entirely different act than solo training. When you’re alone, nobody can tell you that you’re doing something wrong or right. You just have to rely on your experience and intuition. Your partner, on the other hand, is an observer and a helper, and so are you. It’s much easier to notice when somebody’s doing dog pose right from the outside. And it’s impossible to give someone positive feedback when they’re not around. So go ahead and tell your partner that they’re doing great or, if this is the case, that they need to switch it up. This is precious feedback and it’s also a good way to re-discover yourselves and find a new way of communicating.
6. Share Your Passion
There’s passion for a person and there’s passion for a sport. You’re probably familiar with couples whose passions didn’t mesh. He loved her and she loved golf. She was interested in him, but he was interested in basketball. But one passion doesn’t have to extinguish the other. You can fulfill each other and share your passions and of course the important thing is to find compromise. After all, you do have the same goals, to be healthy and good looking, just pick the road that will take you to the person you want to become. Try new thing together, explore the fitness world and find out what works best for you as a couple.
7. Less stress, good mood
Plus, you’ll share some of the added benefits of working out, like less stress, better sleep and a sharper brain, all of which can only help you as you navigate the years together. And regular exercise has been linked to a better time in the bedroom, too. Exercise not only seems to protect against erectile dysfunction, it also improves blood flow in a way that can helps you get in a good mood easily. According to the Ageless clinic, couples working together can achieve a lot, and If you are having problems in this area, it’s a reason more to start working out today.
8. Better in the bedroom
Mike Riordan, founder of Fit Tours NYC, a company offering Central Park Tours with a fitness twist, says while working with couples who join his tours as an alternative to working out at hotel gyms, he gets a close-up view of how exercise can be a rewarding bonding activity.
“Many people think that the term ‘physical relationship’ only pertains to sex, but there is a lot to be said for those who sweat together outside of the bedroom,” Riordan explains. “Even if a couple goes to the gym together, they often separate to do their own type of workout. It’s always seemed to me that when partners take a class together they are sharing the same experience of exertion, which is obviously a chance to bond. That sense of accomplishing something together whether it be running up the stairs at Bethesda Fountain here in the park or finishing a kick ass class together means those sweaty high fives can easily lead to more steam in between the sheets, which I think everyone will agree is good for relationships.”
9. Long, happy, healthy life
A recent Swedish study found that physical activity was the number one contributor to longevity, adding extra years to your life—even if you don’t start exercising until your senior years. But getting active is not just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding life to your years. You’ll not only look better when you exercise, you’ll feel sharper, more energetic, and experience a greater sense of well-being. So grab that partner of yours and start working out today so together you can have the perfect long, happy and healthy life.
10. Improved Relationship Health
Working out together in the morning can set the tone for the whole day. Exercising in the evening can help relax and invigorate you after a long day at work. Either way, it ensures that you get some quality time together. And keep this in mind, the bonds formed between you and your partner will last much longer than your time in the gym.
Challenges, when endured side-by-side, strengthen relationships. Goals achieved together create great memories – memories that can be called upon for strength when the going gets tough again.
Love is in the air, and that should mean more sweat in the gym. Why not bring your partner with you? Step up your workout sessions and show your man/woman a thing or two with fun and effective partner exercises that’ll strengthen your bodies and your relationship.
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