Getting on the same fitness page as your partner can be tricky. You’ve vowed to love each other in sickness and in health.
But when your idea of health is getting to the gym five days a week and eating a diet of fresh veggies and lean protein while your partner’s idea of living healthy is not to “biggie” their fries, it can cause friction in the relationship.
With Olympic Fever still in the air and Spring Fever right around the corner, it’s the perfect opportunity to try and get your fitness goals in sync.
Of course, “Honey, get your fat butt off the couch and come to the gym with me,” is not likely to motivate your partner. In fact, the word “fat” should never be uttered, according to Tina Tessina in an article on thatsfit.com. Tessina, a psychotherapist and author of How to Be Free and Still Be a Couple says the best way to raise the weight issue is to approach it from a health perspective. Instead of telling your partner they’ve gained weight (duh, honey, really?), gently bring up the topic by saying, “I want you to be around for a long time and I’m worried about your health.” ?
Yeah, I know, they’ll know you’re just finding a nice way to say they’ve packed on a few, but it may make them more open to doing something about it if you’re at least nice and supportive about it.
Nagging your partner or criticizing them will only send them straight for the nearest bag of potato chips. Instead, influence by example. Prepare healthy snacks for yourself and keep healthy snack options in the house.
Rather than radically changing your diet and eliminating all your partner’s favourite foods, make subtle changes. Switch out the hamburger for ground turkey in the chili, for example. Go grocery shopping together so you’re both involved in meal planning and food choices. Also, while not exactly a candlelit dinner, it’s still an opportunity to spend some time together.
Research shows that up to 94 per cent of couples stick with their fitness programs when they work out together. Just make sure the activity is something you both like. If you’re a gym bunny but your partner would rather eat glass than get on a treadmill, find activities you’d both enjoy, like bike riding, hiking or, I don’t know, nude mud wrestling.
Hey, don’t laugh. Regular exercise may make you want to get naked with each other on a more regular basis. Studies show that people that exercise regularly feel better about themselves, perceive they are more sexually desirable and experience greater levels of sexual satisfaction.
