Check out these 5 ways to ensure a seamless and productive partner workout - for you and your bestie or your significant other!
Working out with your significant other may seem like a daunting task, better left for those fitness influencer couples all over your Instagram explore page. Partner workouts tend to look a bit extreme... like, kissing in between sit-ups? No, thank you.
Although, exercising with your loved one could be the best thing to happen to your relationship. Working out together can improve your overall mood and increase your emotional bond, according to Healthline.
So, how can you have a successful partner workout? Let’s review some tips to help you and your partner (whether it's your bestie or your fiancé) have a rewarding workout!
01. Make sure you are fueling properly
First thing’s first - get hydrated! Make sure you are staying hydrated by drinking water before, during, and after your workout. Harvard’s School of Public Health says that water is crucial for many things, like regulating body temperature and keeping joints lubricated. This will help your body to cool down after an intense workout as well as ease aches and pains.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not me when I’m hungry. That especially applies to working out. Ensure that you and your partner are fueling properly with healthy carbohydrates about 2 hours before you exercise. This will allow for enough time for you to properly digest your food and feel energized. However, if you don’t have that kind of time, a simple piece of fruit 10 minutes before your workout will do the trick.
Check out Cooking like a G on Instagram for some great pre-workout fuel inspo! Featured below are a stack of healthy banana pancakes and a fresh, deconstructed bahn mi salad.
02. Help motivate your partner
Let’s be honest, we aren’t always on the same page as our partners. Your idea of a fun workout may be your partner’s worst nightmare. So, how do you convince them to join you?
Start by suggesting small activities. This could be as simple as walking the dog together or doing some stretches before bed. These are things you would normally do alone anyway, so just do them together! Quality time spent together will also benefit your relationship by allowing more room for communication. This will help you build trust, avoid misunderstandings, and grow your love for one another!
It is also important to set a good example. Sure, it sounds simple, but if you are passionate about something, your partner will be too. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that “men and women are more likely to make a positive health behavior change if their partner does too”. So, talk with them about how amazing you feel after your workout and why you think they’d enjoy it! A little bit of reverse psychology can’t hurt.
03. Create a ritual
It may help to form a ritual around your partner workouts, as it is sometimes challenging to jump into a new activity without any mental cues. Check out the 4 stages of habit and how you can trick your mind into craving a workout:
1. Cue: Something that triggers your brain to initiate a behavior
Every time you want to workout together, have a cue that will get the ball rolling. This could be anything, from enjoying a pre-workout drink with your partner to simply changing into workout gear. Now you’re in the right mindset.
2. Craving: The motivational force behind a habit
Maybe you hate how it feels to lift weights, but you crave the endorphin release it brings. The cue will kickstart your craving for that post-workout high.
3. Response: The habit you are forming
Naturally, you will respond by acting on that craving. You and your partner are dressed, fed, and ready to get your sweat on!
4. Reward: The end goal
The reward may differ depending on the individual. We all have different motivators and goals; some are in it to get fit while some just crave the stress relief. Whatever the reward, it all started with that cue.
By creating a ritual around your workout, you and your partner will be able to fall into a healthy habit cycle. You will crave the feeling of finishing a workout after you receive your cue. For more about habits, check out this excerpt from James Clear’s Atomic Habits.
04. Instill confidence in each other
This is an easy one - encourage each other! Some days you feel bloated, weak, or just a bit hungover. This is the time to lean on your partner.
Expressing gratitude towards your partner and their actions can create a positive cycle of reinforcement in your relationship. By showing your thanks, your partner will feel appreciated and, in turn, express their gratitude for you and your actions.
Be proud of your accomplishments, no matter how big or small, and encourage your partner to do the same. Even on your worst day, the fact that you made an effort to move your body is something to be proud of.
05. Take a fitness class together
Sometimes you need a more structured workout, or even an instructor to guide you through it. In fact, a study from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine shows many benefits to taking workout classes rather than going solo. Mark D. Schuenke, Ph.D., stated that the “social and supportive aspects of group exercise might encourage people to push themselves harder, helping them derive more benefit from exercise”.
It just so happens that Milsner Fitness is offering a partner workout class on Tuesday, June 2nd @ 6pm PST, Saturday, June 6th @ 8am PST, and Saturday, June 6th @ 10am PST. Check out our main site for more details and sign up to get your sweat on. We would love to see you there!