YOUR SWEETIE: THE PROS AND CONS OF GETTING YOUR BURN ON TOGETHER
SWEATING WITH by blake beckcom Now that you’re more than a month into your health and fitness goals for
2015, you might be thinking it’s time to spice up your workouts by inviting your spouse/partner to join you at the gym. But, before you embark on the journey of sweating with your sweetie... it’s important to take into consider- ation the pros and cons of working out with your spouse, to insure that both of you are successful in accomplishing your health and fitness goals. Gwen and I are personal trainers and co-owners at Fitness Together Mis-
sion Hills and have been married for 19 years. We both agree that it takes commitment, dedication and realistic expectations to make working out with your spouse a healthy and happy experience.
PRO: Share in the Experience of Getting Fit Together One of the biggest assets to accomplishing your health and fitness goals
is having an accountability partner who motivates you and supports your journey toward a healthy lifestyle. You’re going to need encouragement along the way. If your workout buddy is your spouse/partner, then it’s easier to stay motivated and accountable to each other. You’re setting a couple goal together, which can be a powerful thing. When your fitness partner is also your spouse, it allows you to be on the
same page both mentally and logistically. It’s a lot easier to make eating healthy and working out regularly a priority in your life, when your spouse commits to making the same lifestyle choices. Gwen agrees, “Couples who sweat together, stay together. When you work out with your spouse, you come away with feelings of a cooperative spirit, a shared passion and the feeling of synchronization. When you both have the same goals of being healthy and fit, it can be a real powerhouse for any relationship.” This joint commitment to fitness not only helps to support personal
growth, but also can lead to improvements in your relationship and the overall outlook in your household.
CON: Different Goals and Approaches May Hinder Results A common hang-up that can deter couples from working out together
is when each person has different exercise goals and fitness levels. Even if a husband and wife are both striving to lose weight or gain strength, it’s important to remember that men and women typically need to approach their fitness goals differently in order to get the results they need. Couples need to know upfront that men lose weight and grow muscle
faster. So, it’s important for each person to have accurate baselines and realistic goals, when they start working out together. It can be a challenge for couples/partners/lovers who have two different types of workout ap-
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RAGE monthly | FEBRUARY 2015
RAGE monthly | FEBRUARY 2015
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