Sometimes, when you’re in a relationship, it can be challenging to keep up with an exercise regimen because you feel like you and your partner must both engage in exercise separately. This definitely isn’t the case, though. Exercising with your partner can make physical activity far more enjoyable, especially when you find different ways to get active that are better done with someone whose company you enjoy. Here are some ideas for fun activities to get in shape with your spouse:
ROCK CLIMBING
Rock climbing is an activity that takes cooperation, skill, balance, and strength, but you don’t need to be an expert to get started. Find a local rock climbing gym and try going there for a day with your partner. It’s a great exercise in trust and working together, since you always have someone you care about on the other end of the rope, whether you’re holding them or they’re holding you.
TAKE UP TENNIS
If you’re looking for a competitive way to get more exercise with your spouse, then tennis is one of the most obvious ways to go, being that it is often played as a two-person sport. You can burn up to 300 calories by playing tennis for 30 minutes, and you get a great workout that impacts your arms, legs, and core. Besides, this is a great game to play with other couples, so you can get your friends in on the fun, too, or even join a league at your local recreation center.
PARTNER YOGA
If you’ve been into yoga in the past and are thinking about getting back into it, it can be a great new experience to try doing yoga with your partner. Partner yoga involves stretches that require two people working together, usually with the one on the bottom lifting the top partner up. This requires strength and balance and can be great for building muscle and burning calories.
EXERCISE IN A GROUP CLASS
Hitting the weights and treadmills isn’t the only way to get benefits from going to the gym. One of the best aspects of your gym membership is going to be the different group classes that they have available, especially the group classes. Often, the activities in these classes are more vigorous and varied than your typical workout, but you get real energy from going through them with everyone around you.
GO HIKING
It’s always a lot easier to go outside and exercise when the places you are going are actually aesthetically stimulating. For this reason, hop in the car and go to a great local hiking spot with your significant other. It can be incredibly refreshing to get out into nature and away from everything else, and you can burn a couple hundred calories in half an hour by taking a pleasurable hike. If you’d like to make it even more of a couple’s activity, pack some items for a picnic partway through the day.
GO DANCING
Exercise shouldn’t always feel like work. As a matter of fact, it’s far more effective if it continually feels like fun and games. One way that you can enjoy a romantic night out with your partner and get in some physical activity is to go dancing. If you’re nervous about dancing because you’re less experienced, then take a look around at some different dance classes that are available at dance studios or recreation centers. In particular, salsa dancing is a high-energy style of dance that is perfect to do with your significant other.
TAKE A RUN
If you want to get right down to burning calories and getting into shape with your partner, then hitting the pavement is the way to go. A 30-minute run can burn more than 300 calories, and it is an easy workout to get out of the way in the morning, before you both head into work. To make it more of an adventure, try taking a different path every day to get to know the neighborhood around you better.
Exercising with your spouse can not only bring you closer together, but it’s also a lot more fun than doing it all alone. Hopefully, these exercises can bridge a gap and even get you in better shape for the new year.
