Sometimes the most difficult part about exercising is just getting out there and doing it! People often struggle to exercise without a consistent, encouraging workout group or partner. But who says that partner can’t be your significant other?
Staying active and finding new ways to spend time with your significant other are both important parts of maintaining your overall health. So why not spend a little QT (quality time) while getting proactive about your health? It’s no secret that exercise yields widespread, life-altering benefits—helping stave off disease, injury and other ailments. But what are your activity options as a pair?
Here are a few easy-to-access options:
- Stretching and warming up/ cooling down are great starter exercises to do if you and are partner are at different levels, or enjoy doing different exercises. The down time you spend with each other before, during, and after workouts is a great way to stay connected.
- Walking and jogging are great cardio activities. Depending on how intensely you decide to walk or job, you’ll find that this activity is usually conducive to handholding, one-on-one chats, and really taking time to smell the roses.
- Bicycling is another sport that gets the heart rate up — with the added benefit of being extremely low impact, thus beneficial to the joints. You remember how much fun you had riding your bike as a kid right? Well guess what? It’s still just as fun.
- Tennis is a fun way to exercise without really realizing you’re doing it. Also, you can leave your self-consciousness on the sideline, because you’ll find people of all shapes, sizes and skill levels on the local court.
- Take a class a together. There are tons of class options at local gyms and community centers. Whether it’s yoga, dancing, spinning, or martial arts, classes allow each person to participate at their own level while enjoying the support of their partner.
- Ice-skating provides a cardiovascular exercise, is fairly affordable, and allows you to pretend you’re an Olympian. What could be better!
- Hiking offers the unique combination of physical exertion and gorgeous terrain. You’ll enjoy the peaceful solitude of nature alongside your beloved other half.
- Gardening, yes gardening, while not technically considered “exercise,” you’d be surprised at what a sweat you’ll work up in the garden. And the best part is watching all those beautiful plants bloom knowing that you and yours made it all happen.