Working Out Together Is Beneficial!
Maybe you already know the benefits of working out together but even if you do…here are 3 tips to reinforce what you already know!
And if you don’t know about the benefits of working out together – I hope you enjoy these tips!
As the weather is getting warmer, and more and more people are hitting the beautiful trails in Austin, TX, I thought I would spend some time writing about the benefits of working out together.
Working Out Together in Austin, TX!
Since we do live in such an active and fit city – in fact, in 2015 Austin ranked again as one of the fittest cities in America according to the American Fitness Index. And it totally makes sense with so many beautiful trails to run, cycle, and walk through – Austin, TX, is a gem.
It’s such an amazing city that it’s no wonder so many couples enjoy working out together as a part of their relationship!
It’s a great thing too because in addition to keeping us healthy, it can also benefit your relationship (according to a 2013 study from Indiana University).
This Indiana University study found that only 8% of participants who exercised with their spouses quit! This is compared to 1/2 of the participants who exercised without their significant other. Even more reason to start working out as couple today!
Here are 3 tips to make working out together enjoyable!
- Find a Workout You Both Enjoy!
- Empower Each Other – Don’t Coach Each Other!
- Celebrate Together
Finding a Workout You Both Enjoy
If you both love the same thing, for example, running, then it’s easy to say, hey let’s run together – but wait – is it really that easy?!?
Some runners like to run solo – alone without anyone next to them!
Some runners like the community of running and enjoy running and talking with their running partners.
Sometimes, speed is an issue – when one partner is faster than the other.
So, how do you work through this if you and your spouse/significant other like the same activity but enjoy doing it differently?
This is where communication kicks in!
Couples in this situation need to talk with each other about how they’d like this time to be spent.
Is it ok if they run separately and decide to meet at the end – high five, drink water and stretch together?
Is it ok for the faster runner to slow down when running together if one partner is faster than the other?
Same thing with going to the gym for example.
If one partner likes weight training and the other is a cardio enthusiast, then talk with each other about how’d you’d like to do this…
Is it ok for both of you to do your own thing while at the gym together?
Or, do you want to break things up so that you can both enjoy cardio and weight training together.
There’s no one rule fits everyone! This is entirely up to what works for you both! Bottom line is…talk it out, make adjustments, do what you love and have fun!
Empower Each Other – Don’t Coach Each Other!
If you want your spouse/partner to be your trainer, then ignore this one!
But, if you don’t want a trainer, you just want time together doing something you both enjoy, then avoid critiquing (unless asked) and enjoy the time together.
Celebrate Together
Sometimes this one gets missed but make sure to set aside time to celebrate together. Celebrate your accomplishments, workout goals, races you signed up for and ran together, etc.
Working out together can be a rewarding and fun time together – burning off stress and building a healthy lifestyle – so take the time to celebrate!
By: Anna McElearney
* Blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only.
