Top 10 Tips for Fit Couples

Top 10 Tips for Fit Couples

Working out together might be a great way to stay in shape as a couple. However, to really add the fitness factor into your and your loved one’s lives, you might need to commit to a healthy and heartfelt change of lifestyle. Just as relationships take time, effort and commitment, not to mention a real belief that things will work out, so does the pursuit of becoming a fit couple.

First of all, here’s a pat on the back if you have understood that keeping fit really requires activity and working out, and a double congratulations if you have a partner that is joining you at the gym, in training or at fitness classes. To keep momentum and to inspire you to lead a fitter lifestyle in the land of coupledom, that goes beyond working out, here are some top tips for fit couples:

  1. Take takeout off the menu: It’s not just that takeout food is often high in saturated fats and loaded with calories, but that it goes hand in hand, or fork in mouth, with a sedentary, TV lifestyle or crashing out in front of the tube and eating the wrong types of food. Put a temporary ban on takeouts and see if it impacts other areas of your life.
  2. Don’t nag or be negative: Nobody likes critical or bossy people, even if what they are saying is right or well-intentioned. A fitter lifestyle should be induced by positive thoughts and actions and not a guilt trip or a shallow approach to keep the boat steady.
  3. Visit a farm shop: Organic food festivals, local produce and healthy, interesting health foods, can really inspire new culinary ideas and encourage you to add on healthier options on the daily menu. Not only that, but there’s something very bonding about ambling around food stalls and looking at expensive pickles and jams!
  4. Mocktails not cocktails: Be honest about how much you drink and how much your partner does. If you are feeling fairly smug at this point, now add into the equation the amount of fizzy, sugary drinks you consume. Yes, you can include all those zero calorie versions too. Cutting down on alcohol can help reinvigorate a new lifestyle, while those who are fans of soft, sugary drinks can take a break to give their body a real break from too many sugars.
  5. Family feast: Part of leading a fitter lifestyle is that you enjoy moments of indulgence. Get your family around and share a meal once a month or more, so that you don’t feel deprived. Have fun planning what to cook and make this meal treat a shared experience to planning and cooking.
  6. Book a course: Activities such as dance lessons or even rock climbing, which you might not dream of attending alone, can be real fun as a couple. Make sure the course you choose is something a little more energetic than flower arranging and something that will interest you both.
  7. Collect adventures and stories: Do you know any couples that tell the same stories over and over again? Expand your repertoire of interesting tales by adding in some adventure and activities that are fun to talk about with your loved one, as well as other people in your social circle. It can take one exciting day to inspire your spirit of adventure.
  8. Pack a picnic and go for a walk: It may sound somewhat quaint in this fast living day and age, but bring your freetime back to basics. Create a healthy hamper of goodies and whether it’s sunny or the wind is whipping up, dress appropriately and head off on an amble. Take a picnic rug and don’t over plan your route. These days of seemingly doing nothing are the days when we can achieve the most.
  9. Limit sofa time: At the end of a long day the sofa can seem like the most alluring partner ever, welcoming you into a warm, comfortable embrace for the rest of the evening. By consciously being selective about the time you sit down in front of the television, and rationing chill-time, you increase your chances of finding other things to do. You might even get to the myriad of jobs around the house you’ve been promising and planning to do.
  10. Plan weekend jaunts: We’ve all done it. Suddenly it’s Saturday morning and you haven’t given the weekend much thought beyond a possible extra hour in bed. By the time you realize you want to do something active with your day off it can often be too late to get going. If you plan activities and day trips then it makes waking up and seizing the weekend far easier to do.

What other ways could you become part of a fit couple? What would you change about your lifestyle?