You love your spouse/ partner and you love spending time with him/her. You enjoy doing many diverse activities together. Since you both value your physical and mental health, why not spend quality time together exercising as a couple? Exercising together enables you to work on your relationship as you also improve your cardiovascular health, muscular strength and flexibility. Exercise at home or in your neighborhood to save time and money.

Benefits of Exercising as a Couple

a) Quality Time: Enjoy special time together while exercising, instead of going to the movies or watching television together.

b) Safety: You and your partner can look out for one another when you exercise together. You can help each other with your form and technique, too.

c) Common Interest: Find different cardiovascular activities that you enjoy doing together. Build on your number of shared hobbies and interests.

d) Deeper Bond: Exercise creates “feel good” chemicals in our brains that help us feel happy, relieved of stress, and more sexually interested. Studies show that women and men who exercise on a regular basis enjoy better and more frequent sex with their partners.

e) Motivation and Support: Encourage and compliment one another as you exercise. Try new athletic activities together and boost each other’s confidence with verbal and non-verbal affirmations.

Exercises for Couples

a) Bicycling: Find a pretty nature bike path near your home or bike around a nearby park. Ensure that you both have a good-quality bicycle and helmet. Consider purchasing bicycles so that you can enjoy biking together on a regular basis.

b) Yoga and Pilates: Purchase a basic Yoga or Pilates DVD to do at home together. Look for an exercise program that is specifically designed for couples.

c) Stretching Exercises: Stretch your neck, back, shoulders, arms, sides and legs together. Do stretches both independently side-by-side and also stretches where you lean against one another.

d) Walking or Hiking: Enjoy going on regular walks or hikes together as a couple. Utilize this time together to have meaningful conversations.

e) Dancing: Create an exercise/ dance space in your home. Gather a collection of energizing music that you both enjoy. Play CDs as you dance, both side by side and partner dancing. Dance to music of various cultures and tempos, including Swing, Celtic, jazz, African, Spanish, contemporary and Broadway music.

f) Gardening: Gardening provides both cardiovascular and strength-training exercise. Create and nurture flower, herb or vegetable gardens together. Gardening together will provide extra benefits, as you find comfort and inspiration enjoying nature together. Eating the fresh vegetables and fruit that you harvested together also helps you improve your diet and get necessary nutrients.

Exercise is vital to our physical and emotional health and well-being. Many busy adults, especially working professionals or parents with young children, find it very difficult to find time on a daily or even weekly basis to exercise. Save time and energy by exercising at home instead of at a health club. Since exercise is essential in the fight against heart disease, obesity, diabetes, anxiety and depression, follow these simple tips for making room in your schedule every day to exercise at home.

Maximize your down time.
While you are relaxing after work, watching several favorite television programs, instead of staying on the coach, consider getting up and exercising while watching your shows. Create an open space for exercising and do stretching, abdominal exercises, or low-impact aerobics while being entertained by your TV programs.

Try to replace your caffeine consumption with exercise.
Caffeine is a stimulant that makes your brain feel alert and awake. However, caffeine is still an addictive drug and can cause sleeping problems and withdrawal symptoms. Whenever you feel the urge to reach for some coffee, tea, soda or energy drink, opt instead to take a few minutes and exercise. Clear an area in your family room or basement for exercising. March or jog on the spot. Do shoulder, side and leg stretches. Remember, exercise is a natural, healthy stimulant for your brain and body.

Make exercise an integral part of your social life.
Instead of going on movie dates with your spouse or partner, choose instead to go hiking or skiing in a beautiful park. Instead of meeting friends at a coffee shop, arrange to get together to play tennis or badminton, or all go on a relaxing bicycle ride together.

Look at housework as productive opportunities to exercise.
Most men and women alike dread doing housework, but try to adjust your attitude by thinking of the unique opportunities to exercise that housework presents to you. Dust and vacuum your home with gusto, knowing you are getting in some much-needed exercise. Wash your dishes and clean your kitchen while listening to some invigorating music to motivate you to clean and move to the beat. Outdoor household tasks including raking the leaves, shoveling the snow, and mowing the lawn all provide fantastic cardiovascular workouts, while toning your arms and shoulders at the same time.

Invest time in cultivating an organic flower or vegetable garden.
Not only does gardening have many therapeutic benefits for your mental and emotional health, but it also provides constant sources for good cardiovascular and strengthening exercises. Weeding and planting provide excellent cardio exercise. Even watering your garden every day gives you some exercise. Make sure that do some full-body stretches before and after vigorous gardening to keep your muscles flexible and free from injury. If you grow vegetables or herbs, make sure that you use them in your cooking, and reap the health benefits of the “fruits” of your labor.