Fitness for two!
There is a common complaint that many couples make as they gaze at their wedding pictures from oh so many years ago…. “I wish I we were as fit as we were then!” So many people say they “let themselves go” after saying their I Do’s but we argue that the loving thing to do in a relationship is to spend time helping each other stay healthy.
What is great about couples who workout together is that they are not only encouraging maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but they are holding each other accountable to make sure that the marriage has more “in health” days rather than “in sickness” days. Really, if you care for something so much, you take care of it right? So your spouse is someone you really should invest time into helping take care of. Since it’s Valentine’s day weekend, we suggest that you commit to each other that this year is going to be different. That instead of that weekly movie date where you get the humongous buttered popcorn, candy box and soda, that you do an active date instead. Go for a walk in a local park, beach or lake. Sign up for a fun physical activity like indoor climbing or salsa dancing lessons. Think outside the box to make sure at least once a week, time is spent together off your butts and getting moving.
Don’t just take our word for it, we back our claims up with science! According to an article in Psychology Today, working out together can:
Increase your happiness with your relationship. Lab studies show that after jointly participating in an exciting physical challenge or activity, couples report feeling more satisfied with their relationships and more in love with their partner (Aron, Norman, Aron, & Heyman, 2000). Exercise is a perfect example of the type of invigorating activity that can have these positive effects. It’s the physiological arousal, rather than the novelty or challenge of the activity, that drives romantic attraction (Lewandowski, & Aron, 2004). This suggests that sharing a fitness goal (such as training for a 5K or triathlon), taking regular runs together, ballroom dancing, or having a date night at the gym can boost the quality of your romantic relationship.
Improve the efficiency of your workouts. A long-standing concept in social psychology is that the mere presence of someone else affects your ability to do an activity (Zajonc, 1965). Even if you already feel competent doing a particular exercise, bringing along your romantic partner may be a fantastic way to boost your energy output. Your partner’s presence will improve your speed, without you necessarily being aware of their influence (Bond & Titus, 1983). (On the other hand, if you are just beginning to learn to do burpees or manage a new elliptical machine, better to stick to trying it solo for the time being. In these cases, your partner’s presence may interfere with your ability to complete a challenging task (Zajonc, 1965). Take some time to master the exercise, then bring your partner along for a performance boost.)
Make your partner fall in love with you. Exercise induces the symptoms of physiological arousal—sweaty hands, a racing pulse, shortness of breath. These symptoms mirror, in many ways, the thrill of romantic attraction. Interestingly, people can easily mistake the two and misattribute physical arousal for romantic attraction (Dutton & Aron, 1974). Use this phenomenon to your advantage by inviting your romantic interest to workout with you. The results? A likely boost to your attractiveness in his or her eyes.
Help you achieve your fitness goals. When partners care about fitness—their own and their partner’s—it becomes easier to achieve fitness goals. A recent study of heterosexual couples showed that average-weight husbands who care about fitness engage in more physical activity when their wives offer more supportive health-related comments (Skoyen, Blank, Corkery, & Butler, 2013). Sharing in the ups and downs of a daily morning walk, a tough bike ride, or a strenuous Zumba class, can provide the perfect context for such comments. One cautionary note: Don't rely too heavily (or exclusively) on your partner when it comes to your own fitness goals. "Outsourcing” the mental effort required to complete fitness goals can reduce your own effort (Fitzsimons & Finkel, 2011).
Increase your emotional bond. When you work out together, you create a context in which you can coordinate your actions. For example, you might lift weights in rhythm with your partner, match your own walking or running pace with his or hers, or toss medicine balls back and forth. Such behavior creates nonverbal matching, or mimicry, which benefits you both (Stel & Vonk, 2010). Nonverbal mimicry helps people feel emotionally attuned with one another, and those who experience or engage in it tend to report greater feelings of having “bonded” with their partner. Exercising together provides an opportunity to create such connection, benefiting both your health and your relationship.
We have had couples join Fire Team Whiskey and workout together! Fire Team Members Gina and Jim Wolter are one example. They now have been members for a year and a half and they continue to improve in their fitness and health. They held each other accountable by being on the same workout schedule and were able to hold the whole family to the new way of eating around the house (they have 4 kids!).
Cory and Keely Sanden are another case of finding the fun of getting healthy together. Check out their video about their experience working out together with Fire Team Whiskey.
In sum, fitness can be about you, or it can be about you and your partner, so why not share this aspect of your lives, either regularly or just on occasion, and discover how doing so might give your relationship a new dimension and new life. Sign up for the Fire Team Whiskey Start Your Journey Program and start your journey to a life time of fitness and health together!