Some may say, “No way am I getting sweaty and gross in front of the guy I like.” Or, “I’m not interested in training with a chick,’” (not challenging enough, what if I look like a fool, what if she kicks my butt); or, I remember a day when I told myself, “I have my thing, they have theirs, we like to do our own thing.”
My wife and I have a motto: “Couples who sweat together stay together.” I can tell you that over the past 13 years we said all the above and more.
Christie grew up participating in team sports, where I preferred the individual ones. I preferred to work out in the morning and get it over with, and she had more energy to train later in the day.
She gravitated toward social, group-led workouts, whereas I plugged in my headphones and went to town on my planned routine. Not very conducive to working out together, now is it? Regardless of our differences, we’ve always shared a passion for health and fitness, and four years ago our interests intersected and we’ve worked out together ever since.
As busy parents we were both in need of effective and less time-consuming workouts, a way to get our sweat on, increase our strength with a flexible, consistent, commitment to squeeze in 30 minutes of daily fitness. We know on the days we make time to sweat together, we’re happier personally and our home is too, so making time is essential to our way of life. Not to mention, the more we work out together, the more we want one another… sweat comes in all forms, now doesn’t it?
There are tons of movements we could do in the comfort of our living room, backyard, the local park or even our condo’s gym. Movements that are intense enough to get our heart rates pumping, giving us that good ache. You know what I’m talking about. The ache where you feel you did something physically active, yet you can still function the days following. The type of aches that allow our clothes to fit like they should, giving us the confidence that we are following through with our commitment to improve our health.
One thing is absolute and that’s the fact that working out together enhances our relationship. We keep each other accountable, we razz each other to step it up when one of us is dogging it, and best of all, we challenge each other to stay on track. Understanding that we are both on the same journey, heading to the same destination, allows us to live our lives wanting to stay functionally fit for life.
Click to meet IMPACT’s FIT Couples
- Dai and Christie Manuel (above)
- Shawn Booth and Kaitlyn Bristowe
- Ashleigh McIvor and Jay DeMerit
- Dawn Alison and Brandon Best
- Jen Dingle and Ben Richard
- Rob Mabee and Mark Tewksbury
Fit Couples Workout
Whether you have a significant other, a best buddy or are on the hunt for a workout partner, teaming up to train makes it fun. Book time with your wife (husband, girlfriend, boyfriend…) and do this workout together. Stop wasting time, make time and work out with your partner!
Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of the following:
- 5 x burpees
- 10 x push-ups (scaled options – push-ups from knees or wall push-ups)
- 15 x sit-ups (we use an ab mat and do butterfly sit-ups)
- 10 x med ball passes
- 20 x air squats (body-weight only squats)
Two weeks after doing the above workout, reconnect and do it again. See any improvement? What goal are you going to work toward together now? What commitment do you make to each other?
4 Tips to help you stay committed in your workouts and in life
- Set a goal of squeezing in 15 minutes of activity each day (only 1% of your day)
- Work out with your partner. If you struggle to find a time to be together physically, then be sure to message and check in with each other daily.
- S.S.U.E. each other daily! (Share, Support, Uplift and Encourage one another)
- Be accounta-buddies (hold each other accountable to your goals, ambitions and dreams)
— Dai Manuel
