20lb of Christmas Lost
Sonia is in Spain for a few weeks visiting her son and family for the Easter holidays celebration. I am keeping busy, filling my time with constructive things that I need to get done. One thing on my task list is “work out”. Sonia and I have been consistently going to the gym two times a week for just over 6 months. We started in late October last year and now we’re four months into the new year. This coupled with our intermittent fasting has seen amazing results. Even through the holidays, I have maintained my 15-pound weight loss and Sonia has kept off 20 pounds during the Christmas season! You ask what does this have to do with being assaulted? Well, I’ll get to the point.
Torture Feels So Good
I set my mind to going to the gym and doing the same routine that Sonia and I have been doing every week for three months. The routine is a coaching session at the Vasa gym near our home. It’s called the Red Room. I am not sure of the origin of the concept or the name, but this specialized session takes place in a special workout area called the “Red Room”. The lights of the room are red, which cast a warm glow on workout equipment like incline benches, the “rack”, treadmills, and of course, the line of “Assault Bikes”. I was in the middle of a 9-minute air bike workout when I looked for my Love and she wasn’t sitting next to me, pushing the limits of our ability together. I thought about how great it was to have a workout partner to go to the gym with. We have been going to the gym long enough now that the workouts together and separately leave us feeling amazing. It felt like torture at first, but now it feels great to finish the workout and celebrate the effort with my partner. The first 90 days have convinced me that couples should exercise together and the reasons are many, but I’ll list the top three reasons.
Working, Growing – Together
Reason One: Increased Appreciation. We see the hard work that our partner is putting in to achieve the fitness results that we can see and enjoy. We celebrate the health and wellness of our partner because we understand the effort that is required. Because we are working together in these exercise sessions I know how tortuous the air bike can be, I feel the hard work that Sonia is putting out, and I have sore muscles, too. This increases my appreciation for Sonia.
Reason Two: So Sexy. Who wouldn’t agree that being fit and strong is sexy? When your partner sees muscle gain or fat loss results due to the time you spent together exercising, you have increased reasons to compliment and say positive things to each other. It is so easy to forget to acknowledge the little things when the hustle and bustle of daily life takes up our attention and energy. It’s great to high-five your Love after a tough workout or hit the sauna afterward and talk for a few minutes while relaxing and soaking our sore muscles. There is so much good that comes from finding an exercise routine that you can do together with your partner.
Reason Three: Me. Another important reason for exercising with your partner is that you benefit the most. I have noticed that I feel stronger, look better, and have more stamina and flexibility in every situation. I noticed improvement on the court playing my favorite hobby sport, pickleball. And recently I spent a day skiing a bluebird day at Powder Mountain and I was surprised at how I was able to bend down to secure my snowboard bindings without exhausting my strength. Last year I had to sit down to put on the bindings and I was exhausted and tired after only three hours on the slopes. This year I could bend over and touch my toes! Ha! I boarded all day and could have kept going if I did not have to be home to take Matt to the eye doctor. That seems so trivial but it was so rewarding. I feel stronger and I like it.
Just Do It
I could go on about the positive things that come from exercising with your partner on a regular basis. I only listed three reasons and I think that anyone that has had a similar experience could list more. Leave a comment about how working out and exercising with your partner has helped your relationship. It was tough the first several months and there is always a reason to not go to the gym together, but now I am committed to doing it for another 90 days! I know you can get started today as well if you are not already exercising regularly. Remember that it can be as easy as a walk around the block or a YouTube HASFit video workout in your living room. Just make the time to exercise with your loved one. If you don’t have a loved one, work out for reason number 3. Do it for You and if you desire a workout partner, the Multi-verse will provide it. It’s a win-win, no doubt.
