It Takes Two - Tips and Tricks on Getting Fit Together -- The month of love is here and many of us are thinking about losing that few extra pounds and impressing our love ones with a tighter more toned physique. Chances are your sweetie is thinking the same thing. Help inspire each other to get into better shape and improve your health by training together. Walk in His/Her Shoes Buy a month membership at his gym and pump iron together or try out her yoga studio for an intimate couple’s yoga session (no shoes required here). Whatever it may be, working out together will bring excitement and motivation to the mix. Accountability Partner When you decide to shift into health mode it is always helpful to have someone as your copilot. By making the decision together it is much easier to keep each other accountable to eating right and working out. No more excuses about the other one tempting you with junk food or taking your only time to workout. If you commit to being each other’s biggest supporter and you both will succeed. Friendly Competition Some couples are driven by competition. If this applies to you, have both you and your partner set specific goals you would like to reach with rewards you will present to each other if they reach their desired goal. Make sure to have the goal date set anytime other than Valentine’s Day as you don’t want to be disappointed if you haven’t quite gotten there yet. Also make sure the competition is friendly and motivating. Remember, you want your partner to win just as much as yourself. Encourage them to keep going and enjoy the rewards. Relay Race This is a great way to help motivate each other while getting a killer cardio workout. Start by walking together on side by side treadmills at your local gym. One of you will start running as the other continues to walk. As the runner approaches ¼ mile he or she signals the other to get ready. As the ¼ mile marker is hit, the runner resumes to a brisk walk as their partner “takes the baton” and starts to run. The person walking should encourage and motivate the runner to keep going. Continue this pattern until you have accumulatively run 2-3 miles. Spice it Up Instead of the normal take-out for dinner, try cooking new dishes together that are delicious and healthy at the same time. This creates for good quality time together while keeping each other on track with nutrition. You can find healthy recipes for free online or tear out intriguing recipes from any fitness/health magazine. As you decide to conquer the road to fitness together, remember to always encourage one another. If one slips, it is not an excuse for the other to go down with them. Rather it is a chance to pull the other person back up with positivity and not put-downs. After all the hard work, your reward will come on Valentines Day when you both have tighter bodies to show off, and an appreciation for each other’s hard work. In Health and Happiness, Lauren Showers
