Sweating makes sweethearts
The couple that sweats together, stays together
On Sundays, Houston residents — and sweethearts — Caroline Bentley and Andrew Ginty sit down and pencil in their workouts.
“We both have pretty different schedules,” Bentley said. “We like to plan out when we’re busy, when we have time to work out together.”
They decide which days they’ll schedule their workouts as a duo, and which days they’ll divide and conquer.
“It’s not in the cards to do them all at the same time,” Ginty said. “But we want to make sure that we do some together.”
Marking the calendar helps hold them accountable for their fitness routines. But that’s not the only benefit the couple sees.
“If you want to be healthy, you have to commit time to it,” Ginty said. “If you have your partner there with you, you’re spending quality time together. It’s like a bonus hour we get to spend together.”
Bentley and Ginty represent a large number of couples who find that sweating together helps them stay together. Their relationships benefit from time together, spent pursuing a common goal — and their health improves as well. Partners become accountability partners, cheering on progress and pushing each other to stick to their fitness routines.
“Everybody has stress in their lives, whatever their situation,” said Bruce
“My wife is committed to being healthy, and she helps me a lot.”
Larry McMichael, talking about wife Kari
Blome, a Heights resident who works out with his partner of 12 years, Karen Carter.
“Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and let your mind relax,” he said. “It creates for us a nice relaxed environment at home. And we probably communicate better.”
Carter agrees. “You’re less likely to take your stress out on each other,” she said.
The benefits differ from couple to couple. For Ginty and Bentley, who have been dating for four years, their regular trips to the Orangetheory Fitness studio in West University Place has given them a common hobby.
“I was exhausted after my first workout, but I really liked it,” said Bentley. Before long, she convinced Ginty to give it a shot. He joined after his first trial class.
Now, the couple goes to the gym several times a week. Bentley has lost 15 pounds, and Ginty has lost 5 and is working to increase his strength. Already, he feels faster and stronger when he runs.
When they are both free on Saturdays, they go to Orangetheory together. But even when they can’t go together, they still share their routines.
“We have conversations about it, even when we can’t go at the same time,” Bentley said. “It benefits us as individuals. And it’s something we can do together.”
Sugar Land residents Kari and Larry McMichael also work out as a team at Orangetheory. They met at a friend’s birthday party four years ago and have been married for two years.
Kari has been diagnosed with four different autoimmune disorders, which affect her health and muscle tissues overall. Last year, she began a keto diet due to her diagnosis, and it helped improve her health. Then she decided to try Orangetheory.
“I was a little intimidated at first,” she said. “But the workouts go by fast, and you get a lot accomplished. You start to see the results. Your muscles are more defined. Your clothes fit better.”
Kari has lost 30 pounds and convinced her parents to join as well.
For Larry, fitness has been a top priority for a while: Three years ago, he weighed 300 pounds. “I ate bad, drank and smoked a pack a day,” he said.
After eliminating sodas and fast food, he lost 40 pounds. Then, he began jogging. Eventually, he lost 100 pounds. When Larry quit smoking, he regained about 30 pounds. But Orangetheory helped him lose 20 of those pounds again.
“Now I have confidence going into the gym,” he said. He likes the real-time feedback from the gym’s heart monitors and the calm, encouraging vibe he gets from the coaches.
Mostly, he said he benefits from the support of his wife. “My wife is committed to being healthy, and she helps me a lot,” he said.
They often head to the gym at 5 a.m. to start their day with a workout. “We talk to and from, on the drive,” Kari said.
Being at the same gym also gives them something to discuss. They compare their workouts, chat about trainers. “That connection keeps us going,” Kari said.
“We’re accountability partners,” Larry added. “We talk about what we can do better. It’s cool to share that part of our life together.”
Heights residents Blome and Carter go to Orangetheory together three to five times a week.
“The way Orangetheory is designed, even if you’re not on the same fitness level, you can still go together and encourage each other,” he said.
For example, one partner could run on a treadmill, while the other goes at a slower pace, Blome explained. There are modifications for each exercise.
Blome and Carter carpool to work. Sometimes, when they are heading home, one of them considers tapping out of their fitness plans.
“One of us convinces the other, and afterwards, we’re glad that we did,” Blome said.
“We never regret going,” Carter added.
They also focus on nutrition together, planning their meals and shopping at the grocery store.
Carter is convinced that being healthier together makes for a better partnership. She suggests other couples spend time looking for an exercise option that suits them.
“Find something you like to do,” she said. “Because if you don’t like it, you won’t do it. And it’s even better, if you can do it together.”