A fit twosome

Work out together and strengthen not just your body but also your relationship.

Dance away your blues together... Photo: S. Thanthoni

The couple that exercises together stays together. Don't ask who said it but, come to think of it, it's pretty true. Exercising together not only strengthens the body but also the relationship.

A lot of bonding can happen over an exercise session. So here are a few benefits of working out together.

Quality time: Spending time with your partner can get difficult, given the pressures on your time. Why not find a suitable time that works for both and workout together?

Bonding: Studies show that exercising increases the feel-good chemicals in your brain. So if you are around your partner at that time it strengthens your bond.

Less excuses: When you exercise by yourself, you are not answerable to anyone. So skipping a day's workout may be frequent. But when you exercise with your partner, skipping the workout will mean letting your partner down.

Motivation: Lack of motivation is the biggest reason for dropping out of a fitness programme. A partner who genuinely cares for you will motivate you to stick to the regimen and see the results.

Courage: For some joining a gym can itself be intimidating but signing up with your partner may remove the difficulty. You might feel more courageous about trying out different routines with some support.

Balance: While the guys typically prefer working out with weights, girls always stick to cardio. By working together you can balance your workout programme to include more of both.

Respect: By working out and getting fit you earn respect since you are sending an indirect message that you care about how you want to be in the years to come.

Quick tips

Sign up for a group class together; a zumba or a salsa class, which is more partner oriented. Other options are kickboxing or yoga.

Do cardio that allows you to work at your own intensities like spinning sessions, treadmills etc. You can be together at the same time yet workout at different levels.

Catch up with circuit training together. Exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, dips, partner crunches, Russian twists, partner rowing with resistance tubes can make the circuit.

Stretching together can make a lot more sense. What you pay for a personal trainer can be got from your partner. But make sure one of you knows how to stretch.

E-mail: muraharijayanthi@yahoo.in