Whether you are a couple in a relationship, co-workers or just good friends, the benefits of exercising together are countless. Studies show that when you buddy up, you’re more likely to stay motivated and stick with it. Aside from just the fitness and health benefits, making the effort to train together can play a role in enhancing the overall quality of your relationship.
Research shows a positive correlation between participating in a physical challenge or fitness activity and experiencing greater feelings of satisfaction with your partner . There are many reasons why exercising together has a positive impact on how you relate to one another but physiologically we also know that exercise impacts dopamine and serotonin release (the feel good neurotransmitters), which can enhance your overall mood post-workout.
Here are a few key tips that can enhance your fitness and relationship:
Create a weekly fitness date:
It’s understandable that with today’s busy lifestyles, some couples just don’t get the chance to have their schedules align regularly to exercise together. Choosing one day of the week as your fitness date can be a great way to stay committed to exercising and spending some healthy time together.
Choose an event:
Maybe it’s a 5K race, biking trip or hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro together; event-based goals are one of the most powerful ways to achieve fitness results. The journey of training together for a common goal can produce amazing experiences and solidify your connection with each other to reach that finish line. Not to mention, once your event is complete you’ll likely have some great photos and memories to reminisce over for years to come.
Partner up your Exercises
It’s great to go to the gym together and follow a strength circuit or train side by side, but with a little creativity you can implement some great partner exercises that require a team effort.
Set Interest-Driven Fitness Goals
Not all goals will be the same for both partners in a relationship. One partner may want to be able to complete 10 pull-ups while the other may have a goal of running 5K in under 20 minutes. Spending some time together determining a few key goals that are important to you individually can be a great way to support each other in successfully working towards those goals.
Challenge Each other
We all have different strengths when it comes to fitness. Exercise offers a great opportunity to share your strengths as a way of helping your partner. For example, you may be a faster runner and therefore you will naturally push your partner to increase their endurance during your morning runs.
Change the stimulus
Just like other aspects of a relationship, it is important to keep the spark alive by sharing new experiences together. Make a goal of trying one new workout, mode of exercise or fitness class together every month or two. You’d be surprised what new fitness experiences can do for not just your fitness routine but your relationship.
Brent Bishop is a national on-air fitness expert, celebrity trainer, published author and founder of Think Fitness Studios.
