Swolemate season is upon us! We rounded up some of the most compelling reasons to work up a sweat with your sweetheart—just in time for Valentine's Day.
We all know that couple. We see them out running together, taking turns on equipment at the gym, or going head to head during a super-competitive WOD. Maybe we've made a joke or two about them, but the truth is they've discovered what might be the ultimate fitness hack. By combining the roles of gym buddy and soul mate, they've locked down the most supportive, motivational, and effective workout partner on the planet: the swolemate.
There are a lot of reasons why romantic partners may think they can't work out together. They may be into completely different activities, they might be at drastically different fitness levels, or they simply may not have had the time or inclination to sit down and hash out a collaborative workout plan.
If you're still on the fence about working out with your significant other, we're offering this two-part blog series detailing the ins and outs of taking the plunge. In today's installment, we offer you 10 legit benefits of working out as a couple.
1. ULTIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY
It's common knowledge that you're more inclined to stick to an exercise routine if you have an accountability partner. A gym buddy can help keep you on track, but a swolemate? That's next-level accountability right there. Unlike a traditional workout partner, your significant other holds a unique place in your heart and psyche, so you're more likely to show up for workouts, stick to your eating plan, and generally do your best to avoid letting them down.
Plus, you can take turns playing the "bad guy" who has to pull the reluctant party out of bed/off the couch to go work out.
2 BETTER BONDING
Get even closer with your sweetie by overcoming tough workouts together—and laughing with (not at!) each other when things don't go as planned. From summiting a challenging peak as a team to falling into each other during an ambitious yoga pose, exercising together is a great way to deepen your bond by creating new memories.
3. MORE SATISFACTION
When coupled research participants* were polled after working out together, they not only said they felt more satisfied with their relationships, they also reported feeling more in love with their partner! The entire process of setting, working on, and meeting health and fitness goals with your partner fosters communication and collaboration, which can also be deeply satisfying.
4. IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine showed that working out with a partner (not simply working out next to someone but actively working out WITH someone) can extend the length of your athletic performance. Not only are you likely to work out longer, but oftentimes you'll perform a physical activity better with a partner as well!*
5. INCREASED ATTRACTION
Working out produces a physical response that is strikingly similar to romantic attraction—shortness of breath, sweaty hands, fast heartbeat, etc. Become virtually irresistible to each other by combining your existing attraction with the feel-good endorphins and physical response that follow a joint workout.
6. GOAL CRUSHING
Common goals can bring people closer together, especially when those goals tie to a shared love of fitness or physical activity. Think about it: If you and your sweetie are both invested in getting fit, you've got two people working toward a goal and encouraging each other the whole time—making it way more likely that you'll both succeed. Plus, who doesn't work harder and achieve more with their biggest supporter cheering them on the whole way?
7. EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Working out together can deepen your emotional connection with your partner thanks to the combination of hormones released during the workout and a phenomenon known as nonverbal mimicry.* During physical activity, you and your partner will naturally sync up your movements (like your running cadence or weightlifting tempo). That nonverbal mimicry is a form of subconscious bonding that will have you feeling more connected at the end of your sweat sesh.
8. QUALITY TIME
We're all busy—there's no denying that. Between work and family commitments, it can seem like there isn't much time left in the day for both your fitness routine and quality time with your partner. Tackling a workout together kills two birds with one stone.
Use your workout time to reconnect by chatting about your day during warm-up and cool-down or simply enjoying each other's sweaty, out-of-breath company for an hour. Sometimes just getting through a tough workout together is all you need.
9. NEW PASSIONS
When was the last time you picked up a new hobby? Discovering a new passion can be exhilarating, and the process of trying out new activities until you find the one that's right for both of you may turn out to be an epic adventure in its own right.
Plus, learning new things not only keeps your mind and body pliable, it can inject a little intrigue back into your relationship as well.
10. SUPER SAVINGS
Many gyms offer family memberships or discounts, but that's just the beginning of how you can save money when embarking on a coupled fitness endeavor. A unified schedule can save you gas and maintenance money if the two of you previously drove to your own gyms/classes separately.
Your new healthy lifestyle may include fewer nights out at bars and restaurants as you reel in your diet. Or you might discover that you spend more time doing free activities like hiking, jogging, and biking instead of spending money at the movies or other less-active forms of entertainment.
READY TO WORK OUT TOGETHER?
We put together a list of 10 tips for working out with your significant other to get you on the right track right away!