“We do not stop exercising because we grow old - we grow old because we stop exercising.”
-Kenneth Cooper, MD, MPH, the “father of aerobics”
For many of us, we go through life strapped to our couches, our phones, and our computers. We’re more immobile than ever – losing touch with real life and the person you want to spend it with.
3 children, 4 jobs, and 20 pounds later, you start to regret that trip you never took, the beautiful sunrise you never saw, the workout you never tried. Years go by, and you realize you’ve yet to experience life outside the confines of your own four walls. Good news is, your story doesn’t end just yet.
Bret’s sure didn’t. After his 20-year marriage seemingly ended, Bret knew that he had turned a blind eye to what mattered most in his own life – his wife, Faith. He decided to try his first free Orangetheory workout to commit to better health, and it was love at first sweat.
In just a few months, Bret not only built his endurance, strength, and power (shredding an excess 20 pounds in the process), but he also developed a whole new outlook on life. “At about the three-month period Faith and I started dating again,” Bret emphatically reports.
Bret now prioritizes his free time by spending it with his wife and children. With Orangetheory under his belt, he’s able to do things that they all enjoy – running, hiking, and eating.
“What can I say, when you’re burning about 950 calories a day, you can enjoy the menu a little more,” he said.
5 reasons why couples who sweat together, stay together
- More Accountability: You may notice that with your favorite workout partner holding you accountable, you’re less likely to skip a workout after you’ve already committed. A 2015 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.”
- More Push: Do you notice you run a little faster, row a little harder, and lift a little heavier when you’ve got your workout partner right next to you? Your partner’s presence during your workout can boost energy output, improve speed, and increase strength without even knowing it, according to Psychology Today.
- More Quality Time: Planning an hour together in studio is an extra hour you get to spend with the one you love. When you struggle to schedule date nights during the week, working out together at the studio is a great way for both of you to make time for each other while also carving out time for yourself.
- More Connection: You may sneak a kiss in between blocks, share a look across the treads, or even compare your individual workout summaries after class. When you do something in coordination, you are likely to experience a state of physical harmony and closeness that can intensify your emotional connection long-term. Plus, the clammy hands, shortness of breath, and racing heart rate can induce symptoms of physiological arousal, causing you to feel more romantically attracted to your partner than ever before.
- More Experiences: Start embarking on a life full of more adventure so that you can share life-changing, unforgettable experiences with the one you love. And with the newfound sense of energy after each workout, you won’t want to waste it on the couch.
Take your partner along for the ride because if you want to go far, you must go together.
