FITNESS Partners in life and training
Couples who work out together often find their relationship benefits as a result
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida
It’s hot and sticky outside, all your friends are at the beach or at brunch. It’s tempting to blow off a workout, but getting sweaty with your significant other definitely increases the fun and makes it easier to stick to. We asked people about the creative ways they sneak in a workout and how it has improved their relationships.
GIUILIANA AND BILL RANCIC: MAKE IT FUN
The Rancics started working out together 11 years ago when they started dating and have been sweating together ever since. Their Instagram feed is full of photos of them water skiing, boating, golfing and carb loading at their restaurants, RPM Italian, in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Giuliana: Bill and I recently started playing pickleball regularly and we love it. It’s like tennis meets pingpong, and is a great workout and can get very competitive as well. We play it on outdoor courts, which is perfect for us since we both love being out in the sun. We also love to hike together or go to the gym together when the weather isn’t great. He’s the best workout partner I could ask for.
Bill: Working out as a couple is another way to be together while doing something that is good for you. Even if your workweek is too busy, plan to set aside an hour each weekend to either go to the gym, play a sport or take a hike. At the very least, a walk around the neighbourhood is a great way to get some exercise and reconnect.
CELEB TRAINER ANNA KAISER: SCHEDULE A WORKOUT DATE
She’s a fitness trainer to stars such as Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripa and Shakira. Kaiser and her husband, Dr. Carlos Wesley, who are new parents, love to stay active, especially when they travel. They’ve been cave-exploring in Riviera Maya, hiking through the Amazon rainforest, taken part in a relay mini-triathlon in Montauk, New York, and created their own running tour of Paris and London.
Carlos: Last Sunday, my mom came over to watch the baby and we headed into Central Park together for 45 minutes. We created an interval workout that alternated between short runs and a series of four exercises. (Run for seven minutes, then push-ups, burpees, side planks, teasers, each exercise performed for one minute, then run for six minutes and perform each exercise for 45 seconds and so on.) I monitored the time and Anna led the workout sections. We had the best time and came back to the apartment better parents than when we left.
Anna: We are new parents and we don’t have much time outside of work and baby duties. So it can get frustrating not to get time to focus on ourselves, or one another. Working out not only gets us out of the house, but it helps us get physical together, push ourselves harder than we would if we were solo, and achieve a short-term goal that we have to work toward together. Plus, I think it’s sexy to see him work out and push himself.
GEORGE AND JAMIE HESS: FIND NEW FRIENDS THROUGH FITNESS
Fitness has always been the foundation of the Hesses’ relationship. George even proposed on the treadmill at a boot-camp class. The couple say working out has helped them both lose weight and discover new things. They ran their first 5K three years ago and fell in love. Last year, they ran the New York Marathon together. The public relations executives chronicles their fitness routine to 25,000 Instagram followers.
George: Our date nights are now date days. While most people hire a baby sitter in the evenings, we hire ours on weekend mornings so we can head outdoors and share some fitness time and then grab a quick healthy bite on the way home. It’s so much more gratifying for us than having a date- night dinner where we eat indulgent food and then regret it when our pants don’t fit the next morning.
Jamie: I would recommend finding something you love to do together, like a boot camp or spin class, and then sign up for that a few days a week. Not only does the routine help with consistency, but another cool by-product is making friends as a couple. Now that we have to juggle childcare, we set aside time on Sunday nights to go over our schedule for the week to make sure we both get in all the workouts we need. The most important thing is scheduling the workouts and then making them non-negotiable.
MIKE AIDALA AND CHELSEY KORUS: IMPROVING TRUST AND IMTIMACY
Don’t be intimidated by their crazy impressive moves, such as one-armed handstands. These stunt masters met on the set of a photo shoot in New York’s Central Park and say they are each other’s toughest trainers and biggest cheerleaders.
Chelsey: Mike and I love to keep it playful and completely immerse ourselves in the environments we are in. If we happen to be strolling through the woods, we turn it into a free-running obstacle course. A quick dip in the reservoir turns into a long distance swim to the other side. An afternoon in the city turns into a game of ‘can you handstand here?’ Living this way together keeps the moment alive with possibilities, not to mention a great workout.
Mike: When we work out together, especially doing highrisk acrobatic trust moves, it requires us to lean on each other’s strength, awareness and flexibility which naturally fosters a closer relationship. She’s my teammate. The biggest benefits of training with your partner are the mental and emotional gains, not the physical ones.