Strengthen Your Body & Your Relationship
Workouts are always better with a partner, and what better partner is there than your girlfriend, wife, boyfriend, husband, or significant other? Workouts can be more fun when you’re exercising with someone you enjoy spending time with, and studies show that people work out longer and harder when they have company. Plus, any shared experience will ultimately strengthen your bond and bring you and your significant other closer together will strengthening your bodies.
Exercise can be a source of energy and joy in a relationship, or it can also be one of contention and guilt. If one partner is fit, but the other isn’t, it makes the other feel insecure, overwhelmed, or jealous. On the other hand, the “healthier” partner may feel like their hard work isn’t appreciated or feel derailed if their partner is pushing poor choices on them. The benefits of shared goals and exercising with your partner bolster your minds, bodies, and relationship.
So what are you waiting for? Hit the gym together. There’s no need for the two of you to do your own thing at the gym. Your significant other can help you stay motivated, be your spotter, and make sure your form is good. If possible, share your workout routine so you are both familiar with the exercises and know how to support each other.
Need more reasons why you should start working out together? Here are 7 big benefits to consider:
1. Guaranteed Quality Time
When life, career, and/or kids get in the way, it can be hard to carve out alone time for you and your partner. We often have the best of intentions to share quality time over dinner or even a date night but sometimes even those can get put off if something unexpected comes up. However, if you’re prioritizing your workouts, you probably already have them built into your schedule as “appointments” with yourself you can’t break.
So if you’re already making time in your day to hit the gym, why not do it together? Exercising together means built-in quality time, and more quality time helps keep your relationship close and healthy.
2. Better Accountability
People who are held accountable for their workout routine are more likely to be successful in their efforts. And who better to hold you accountable than the person who knows you best? Your significant other!
When you only have to answer to yourself, you’re more likely to skip a workout if you’re feeling a little lazy or not feeling motivated. But letting your partner motivate you and keep you accountable—and vice versa—can bring you closer and ensure you both get a killer workout in. Remember to motivate each other with compliments and praise. This will do wonders for your relationship…and even your sex life!
3. More Motivation and Support
Not only do you feel more accountable when training with your significant other (or even friends and family) when you actually get in the gym you’ve got a perfect motivational coach. Your partner becomes your trainer – pushing you to work harder and providing all of the positive feedback you need to boost productivity.
Approaching your session as a team will definitely improve motivation – it’s you two against the gym.
Many studies report that when you spend time with fit friends, you are more likely to lose weight and improve fitness levels. Surrounding yourself with a social support network increases motivation and goal success. Learn more about why having a workout buddy may be the best thing ever.
4. Better Sex Life
Speaking of sex life earlier, it may sound silly, but feeling happier is a natural byproduct of exercise due to the feel-good chemicals (endorphins) that it helps you release. The release of endorphins also helps ramp up your sex drive, so not only will working out together make you happier, but it will up your desire.
In addition, working out boosts your self-confidence and can help you get in touch with your body: two more things that translate to increased arousal and better sex!
5. Healthy Competition Can Be Fun
Feeling like the spark of your relationship could use some reigniting? A little healthy competition can bring some playfulness back into your relationship. Often between life’s challenges and complacency, we forget the playful, flirtatious behavior that originally built the bond with our partner. But working out together can bring that back in the form of some friendly, fun competition!
Challenge your partner to a mini race or see who can finish a circuit workout first. See who can do the most squats or burpees. It not only keeps your workout interesting but your relationship interesting, too!
6. Trying Something New Builds Your Bond
Trying something new together can bring you infinitely closer as a couple. Whether it’s travel, a once-in-a-lifetime event, or even fun fitness experiences like yoga, Team or Studio Fitness Training, or a fun Zumba GROUP fitness class, trying something for the first time together is an amazing way to bond.
This is because new experiences flood your brain with dopamine, a feel-good chemical—and when you experience those things with your partner, your brain links that positive feeling with him or her.
7. Enhanced Results and Goal Crushing
Common goals can bring people closer together, especially when those goals tie to a shared love of fitness or physical activity. Think about it: If you and your sweetie are both invested in getting fit, you’ve got two people working toward a goal and encouraging each other the whole time—making it way more likely that you’ll both succeed. Plus, who doesn’t work harder and achieve more with their biggest supporter (and favorite person) cheering them on the whole way?
An additional benefit of working out with your significant other is that you can help each other diagnose the areas where you need to improve, as well as motivate you to get your best results. When working out with your partner, it’s easier for the other to help correct form or notice imbalances that you may have missed yourself.
So not only are you likely to work out longer with a significant other, oftentimes you’ll perform a physical activity better with a partner as well thus leading to enhanced results.
Whether you are building your health or your relationship, working out together can do either. The next time you schedule a date, try a visit to FITNESS PROJECT and a great workout with your significant other and see what it does for the both of you. And last but not least—enjoy every moment you spend together.
