Couples That Sweat Together

Yeah, it is so tempting to flop on the couch after a tough day, and veg out, watching tv or netflix movies… but so much more satisfying to do something active together…

The Captain and I have become workout buddies.  And at his request, to my surprise and delight.

We have always spent lots of time together and have traveled all over the world to snow ski, both alpine and cross country, snowshoe, ice skate, roller skate, curl, golf, mountain trek, hike, cycle, walk and explore, swim, sail, snorkel, beach-comb, and water ski.

But, over the past 13 years, since we sold our house and moved onto the sailboat we have spent most of our days together.  Even now that we have let the sloop go and have become land-lubbers again in an urban environment, we do prefer each other’s company.

So how do we keep active, moving, and stay engaged and interesting?  We spend lots of time in various physical activities.

Strength Training

We have been doing our workouts together 3 times per week for the past 6 weeks. And even though we are doing the same exercises, we are each using weights appropriate to our own fitness levels and progress.  It is so fun to count reps for each other and even challenge each other when doing our push ups at the end of each session.   When one or the other of us gets a bit complacent or unmotivated, the other is there to offer support and encouragement.

We took this week off from our formal program, and have been doing kettle bell and yoga sessions for a change of pace.  It keeps things fun and interesting and it is good mentally, too, to take a break from the normal routine.  Next week we will start a new 6-week program.

Running

I will never be as fast a runner or have as much endurance as The Captain.  But I am much more interested in doing it. Running is my passion, and he comes along only to keep me company and encourage me.  If you are running with someone who is faster  or runs longer, you can still do it together… just tailor things so that you run only the distance or time you want to go, together, or have him run at your pace. If he is much faster and doesn’t want to do go at your speed, he can run out and backs to you… or you to him, if you are the faster runner.

Sweating brings on the endorphins and creates solid emotional connections.

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Other Sporting Activities

These days we golf, cycle, hike, walk, do beach rock scrambling, and play tennis together.  Sometimes our activities bring on some serious challenges, but most of the time they are just a great way to spend fun time outdoors together.   Laughter is also a great way to create lasting bonds.

Other than private time… what is your favorite way to sweat with your partner?