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Great reasons for St. Louis couples to exercise together
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On Wednesday I wrote about a novel site that can help couples workout together. Today, we're going to discuss the profound payoffs of exercising in tandem. Plus, find out how you and your spouse can help see each other through those tough junk food cravings!
We’ve talked before about the way common interests can unite and nurture a marriage. Having fitness goals and reaching them can be one more way to bring the two of you closer. Plus, remember that post about combating boredom? Pick up some new hobbies that move those muscles or explore the St. Louis metro area (Forest Park, Cahokia Mounds, Bontanical Gardens). Your body and your marriage will thank you!
Joumana and Duan Reese, creators behind NUYU (an online fitness site) testify that a few kind words from your honey can be a great motivator. “You should talk about your goals so that on the days that you just don’t feel like working out your spouse can help encourage you, she says. "Duan and I talk a lot about where we want to be weight and fitness-wise, and it has helped me a lot. “
Typically one partner tends to favor one activity while another tends to favor another. (I go for the cardio but my husband heads straight for the free weights.) If you workout together, you make sure to incorporate a bit of what you like as well as what the honey loves. This makes for a more balanced program for both of you. Plus, if you or your spouse is very knowledgeable in a certain area, you can learn from each other.
Sometimes two people can have two very different ideas of what an “exercise program” entails intensity-wise. In this case, compromise is key. Essence Magazine has a great idea: “When walking or jogging outside, try intervals. If you are a slow jogger and your significant other is faster, intervals will be perfect for both of you. Work at one partner’s faster pace for a few minutes, and then recover at the other person’s slower pace. Intervals are also a great way to improve your fitness level and speed over time. Before you know it, you’ll both be able to work at the same pace together.”
A healthier lifestyle isn’t just about the exercise. Healthy eating is important too. As Joumana, a Kirkwood resident, mentions: “we don’t buy any “bad” food so there are no temptations; that has helped tremendously! Husbands and wives should create a list of “bad” foods they don’t want in the house. We are on the same page with regards to healthy eating and we support each other, so that if I have a bad craving Duan will talk me out of it, and vice versa. That has REALLY helped, and I feel that it is key to healthy weight loss."
