Working out with your partner can have psychological benefits, shares Sohrab Khushrushahi

You are most influenced by the people you surround yourself with, so choose wisely. This was some really good advice I was given very early on in life. In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons people falter on their fitness plans or goals is peer and family pressure. So what happens when your spouse or partner joins you on this journey of yours? Would that make your life easier? Would it help you stick to your plan and process? Most likely, yes!

The pandemic has been a huge learning curve for a lot of people. Not only have their priorities changed, but also their attitude towards health and fitness. For someone like me, fitness has been a part of life since a very young age and even though I’ve suffered through my fair share of family or peer pressure, it’s never actually made me waiver. My wife never really worked out in life to be honest. The only time she started taking her fitness seriously was after we had our first child. She’s always been thin, but fit is something she’s had to work on and really hard. I wasn’t really enthused about the idea of us working out together if I’m being absolutely honest, but having a goal and working on it together has been a lot of fun. It also gives me an opportunity to make her push a little because I know if she trains alone, she isn’t going to work as hard as she should.

For people who are just starting out, the peer and family pressure can get a bit too much and nine times out of 10 they will falter. So having your partner or spouse join you on your journey will only make it easier.

Having said all of the above, there are documented advantages of working out with your spouse that can benefit both parties.

It improves the emotional bond you share with your partner

According to various studies, working out with your partner like sprinting or jogging at the same pace, rhythmic weight-training or any workout has a plethora of positive effects. As a result, couples who work out together may feel more “emotionally attuned” with one another as compared to others.

Accountability

Working out together sets the accountability for both partners and each one motivates the other to achieve goals, both as individuals and as a couple. And let’s be honest, we have our bad days where we don’t feel like working out, on such days your partner could be the person who pushes you to get the work done. If one needs a push to get out of bed in the morning to workout, setting couple goals could be the answer. If they’re awake and ready to go, you will be more likely to get your workout done instead of hitting the snooze button on the phone for the next hour. Having a partner can make you stick to your goals, even on days when a working out is the last thing on your mind.

It brings happiness to your relationship

Exercise makes you a happier person individually, thanks to all the endorphins you release during and after your workout. If you work out with your partner, you get to experience that together.

Pushing and motivating each other, then seeing the results of all the hard work you’ve put in, creates positivity for your relationship.

It’s a commitment to each other

If you and your partner make working out together a regular thing, you establish a common goal and respect that physical activity is important for yourselves and your relationship. There are a bunch of studies that show that individuals are more likely to make a positive health behaviour change if their partner does too.

Overall, fitness regimes can be made more interesting and working out as a couple is one of the ways to make that happen. What adds to the fun are those moments of slight humour in between workouts that is just understood between you and your partner through mere eye-contact. Also, following healthy eating habits becomes easier and a fun thing to do if the same is shared. Hence, the saying ‘couples who train together, stay together’.

(The writer is the founder of Sohfit.)