My fiancé, Geoffrey, and I have worked out together for quite some time. I still remember our first time at the gym together. It was before we were even dating. I met a friend to get in a few miles on the treadmill, and Geoff happened to be just getting on the treadmill at the same time. Since I knew Geoff (from work) I hopped on the treadmill beside him. It was an instant friendly but competitive challenge. I hate to admit this, but despite his asthmatic coughing episodes (love ya anyway!), I think he actually kept running even after I was finished (high five babe!). Since we've been dating, we have always tried to do things together that were pretty active in our spare time. Whether it's kayaking, hiking, walking our dogs or sweating it out with one of our favorite Beachbody On Demand workouts, we keep a pretty active lifestyle together.
As many of you know, I teach a high intensity BOOTCAMP class at my local gym, Uptown Fitness! This class is filled with females who love to get their sweat on after a stressful day at the office, in classes or with the kids. BOOTCAMP is the perfect place to let that stress fly! Often times you will walk into this packed class seeing women of all ages laughing, smiling, venting, or talking about anything from their recent trip to the hair salon ending in utter disaster to how their mega-awesome new pair of super stylish yoga pants make their butt look high and tight! AND they were from TJ MAXX! SCORE! I like to refer to this group of women as my family <3
Anyway....this is the ONE workout that Geoff has never done with me. Yet, the most important workout in my life! That presents a problem!
UNTIL TODAY! BOOTCAMP has impacted my life in such a strong and positive way that I felt like Geoff should totally see what all of the hype is about. It took a few weeks of encouraging, but he finally decided that tonight he would show up to give it a try.
I WILL SAY...that he impressed me with how well he kept up! Even in a room filled with 15 other women, he held his own. I have had other males in my class NOT do nearly as well. And I promise I'm not giving a biased opinion ;) What I will say...is that he was a gross, sweaty mess afterward! Which means, he got in a GREAT workout! It also means that I kicked his butt!
SEE! Bootcamp is definitely not just for women!
I personally feel like working out together gives us that slight edge. It gives us that healthy yet competitive competition, but is also time well spent together. Way better than spending our evenings drinking at the bar or flopped on the couch! We're both on the same page with our health goals. We hold one another accountable when it comes to nutrition, and therefore we really see a difference. It's something that we would like to continue throughout our life together to impact our family to be! To raise our children in a healthy and positive atmosphere.
Those of you who like your evidence-based research before believing anything....I got you covered! (I'm that person!) ;)
There are hundreds of studies that show that working out with your partner can not only improve your workout performance (merely by someone else being present in the room with you) but can also improve your attraction to your partner, your relationship, and your emotional bond. Not to mention the crazy good playlist you'll have between the two of you! And the stress you normally take out in verbal arguments will be left on the gym floor instead of between your relationship. You will celebrate one another's personal records together, always have a spotter, never get angry at the other for leaving to go to the gym, and might even learn how to work better as a team! Crazy, right?!
Maybe your workout time is a time for YOU to be alone and in a place of physically torturous zen (we all know this beautiful place exists), or maybe it's a time that you spend quality time WITH your significant other but still in that same fitness zen heaven. Either way, having both people in your relationship involved in fitness is a way for you to grow stronger and healthier together.