Get It Together

Making that 6 a.m. spin class may seem like a bad idea when your is snuggled up in after your alarm goes off. And it’s easy to find an excuse not to work on your arms and shoulders at the end of the day when your husband calls to say he’s preparing your favorite dinner. Face it: The biggest obstacle to you reaching your fitness goals might not be yourself, but your significant other.

To combat this fitness hurdle, consider enlisting your better half as your workout buddy—the benefits to your relationship are immeasurable. For starters, says Courtney Shelby, a trainer at the 24 Hour Fitness in Glendale, Colorado, working out together will increase both your motivation and accountability. “If one of you doesn’t feel like coming in, the other person will drag them there,” she says. And if your husband or wife is already in great shape, they can serve a stand-in trainer, helping you learn new exercises, set fitness goals, and stay motivated when you hit that wall.

A partner can also ease gym phobia common with newbies who are leery of working out in front of strangers and trying new equipment. “People who are self-conscious don’t pay attention to whether or not people are looking at them if they have a partner,” Shelby says. “They feel more confident.”

Getting sweaty at the gym with your significant other also adds a little friendly competition to your relationship, which in turn can motivate you to work out a little harder and, ultimately, help you meet and even exceed your fitness goals. “And it’s fun,” Shelby adds. “Working out together, people can stay focused more. They can make it fun by doing things like circuits and exercises that are timed. Doing it with another person makes it more interactive.”

That sense of competition can even help motivate you and your loved one to get off the couch in the first place, especially if your better half is reluctant to hit the gym in the first place. “Sometimes you have to make a deal when your partner does not want to work out,” Shelby says. “One partner can promise to do errands or the dishes or pay for the movies. Even buy their partner a pedicure.” Or, up the ante by betting who can reach their fitness or weight loss goals first, the winner earning a highly coveted prize like a day at a spa or on the golf course.

The benefits of exercising together can also spread throughout your household when everyone is on board with the program. Shelby says she has seen a number of clients whose relationships have improved once they start exercising together. “Not only is the relationship better, but the household starts eating better,” she says. “Maybe one person was eating junk food and the other person was trying to eat healthy, and that caused a conflict in the house. When they start working out together, it changes the whole household. It rubs off on the kids too.”

And who knows, your new, toned bodies just might ignite a new spark in your love life.

Howdy, Partner

Here are three moves to get your and your partner’s heart moving:

1. Towel curls: Grab a towel, and have one person hold onto both ends of it. The other person will create resistance by pulling/pressing down on the center of the towel while the other person holding the ends tries to perform a bicep curl pulling upward.

2. Lawn mowers: One person should face down in a push-up position on their hands. The other person will hold their feet off the ground. The person in the push-up position should try to walk on their hands. This is an advanced exercise. Each person should be able to hold and manage the other persons feet and weight of their legs while they had walk.

3. Seated Row: Take two medium to high resistance bands with handles and crisscross them. Sit facing each other with knees slightly bent and legs out in front. Have each person hold onto the two handles and row/pull towards their torso. They create the resistance by pulling away from each other.