Whether you’re in the early stages of your relationship or you’ve been with your significant other for a few years, there are benefits to taking part in activities together to strengthen your emotional bond. You may not be aware, but exercising as a couple can offer numerous advantages for your relationship and boost your mental health.
Read on to see why you may want to start gymming with your partner.
The benefits of working out together
There are several benefits that exercising with your partner can offer to you, as individuals and as a couple, including:
Increased love and happiness
Studies show that participating in physical challenges and athletic activities together can encourage couples to feel more satisfied in their relationship and even more in love with their partner. It’s an invigorating activity that inspires romantic attraction and can boost happiness and the quality of your relationship.
Mutual commitment
You and your partner can make exercise a regular activity and instil in each other the importance of staying healthy and keeping mentally and physically fit.
Exercising in tandem will help you to respect the value of physical activity for yourselves and each other. It establishes a common goal that you’re both committed to, which offers benefits for your physical health and your mental wellbeing. It provides a strong foundation for your relationship that’s built on a shared interest.
Accountability
If you need help getting motivated to work out, having someone on your side to help you stay on track can be really helpful. If your partner is with you, encouraging you to get out for that morning run or hitting that workout class after work, you’re more inclined to stick with your workout plan. Even if exercising is the last thing you want to do after a long day, your partner will keep you motivated, and vice versa.
Achieve fitness goals
When partners care about fitness, both their own and that of their partner, it makes it much easier to achieve those loftier goals that can feel insurmountable otherwise. Fitness goals and challenges can feel tough to work through, and there will be ups and downs along the way, but having someone to share that journey with can make it more enjoyable and makes those goals feel more achievable.
A stronger emotional bond
Studies show that working out together can actually strengthen your emotional bond, because it creates non-verbal matching which makes you feel more in tune with your partner and bonded to them. It’s an opportunity to build connection and emotional attunement that benefits you both.
How to incorporate more exercise into your routine
So, you know that working out as a couple could be good for you both. But where do you begin in incorporating it into your schedule? These tips can help you get started with exercising more when time and motivation is low.
Sign up for a joint gym membership or classes
One way to inspire yourself to incorporate more exercise into your routine as a couple is to sign up for classes or join your local gym together. If money is tight, some gyms offer special couple memberships – advertising double the motivation for a fraction of the cost.
A gym membership gives you flexibility to try different sports and fitness activities, based on your interests, which will keep you motivated. If hitting the gym isn’t practical or is too costly, think outside the box. For example, some centres live stream fitness classes as part of their membership package to give you the option of in-person or virtual, or you could subscribe to a dedicated platform for on-demand classes whenever it suits you both.
Take part in a group challenge
Active challenges are a great way to keep yourself motivated over a long period of time, and as a couple, it can be fun to work together on a shared project. For example, if you’re both keen cyclists, why not see if you can sign up for a cycling challenge in your local area or maybe you prefer running in which case there are numerous 5k, 10k and half-marathon races taking place throughout the year which will give you that sense of shared accomplishment.
Join a sports league together
If your local area has a sports club or league you can join for a reasonable price, it can be a great way to make friends, meet like-minded people and give you a sense of connection, while also enabling you to take part in something together. From football and volleyball to running groups and rugby, it’s a great way to widen your social network and joining as a couple means you already know someone so you’re likely to feel more comfortable.
Try out a new sport for free
Trying out a new activity that both of you have never given a go before can be a fun way to inspire you both to stick with your exercise regime, and it’s a great way to build your confidence and self-esteem before joining an official club or paying for classes. Why not give surfing a go in the summer months, or maybe you’ve always wanted to try cross-country running? Getting outside in the open air and jogging in nature is a great way to burn energy and boost your mental health. Trying new activities can be daunting, but doing so with your partner will make you feel more confident and it’s a wonderful way to build up your self-belief.
Exercise offers so many benefits for your wellbeing, not just physical but also your mental health. But as anyone who has put exercise down as one of their New Years’ resolutions will know, it can be hard to stay motivated long enough to see the benefits. Working out with your partner keeps you on track but it offers its own set of advantages for your relationship too, from building commitment and accountability in your partnership to inspiring you to see your partner in a new way and strengthening your bond. From hitting the gym each week to signing on for a new challenge you’ve never taken on before, there are various ways to keep fit as a couple and enjoy the personal and joint benefits that it can provide.
