Top Five Tips to Maintaing A Healthy & Fit Relationship

Derek is a Professional Firefighter, Fitness Coach, and MAN Sports™ Sponsored Physique Athlete with a Lifetime of REAL WORLD Experience in the Fitness Industry! You can find Derek at 970Muscle and  Facebook.

Too many times I hear stories about how someone’s relationship with their significant other is difficult because of fitness. This should never be the case! True fitness encompasses our whole lives; it is Mental, Physical, and Emotional. You cannot fully experience one without the other. Learning to enjoy the fitness lifestyle together as a couple is incredibly rewarding and fun. I am very fortunate to have a loving, caring, and supporting girlfriend. We have embraced the fitness lifestyle and enjoy it together and grown as couple because of it.

When both people are active and healthy, there are many fun things that you can do together. But relationships, just like personal fitness, require time, dedication, and effort. So, here are my top 5 tips to managing a healthy fit relationship!

1.

There is more to life than fitness.

One of my number one suggestions is to not bring things home. When you are training hard and eating well you also need to experience other areas to be truly balanced. Only talking about exercising, eating, supplements and cardio will put a lot of unnecessary stress on both of you. Ultimately, it will take the fun out of it. No matter how much you LOVE fitness, learn to have times where it is just you and your significant other. Set aside time to decompress, even if it is just cuddling on the couch watching a movie.

2.

Group Training

Training together or with another couple is a BLAST. It is awesome how far you can all push each other! Help with form, give compliments, challenge to go harder, and make “wagers” on who can beat the other in reps/time/weight/etc… Have fun!

3.

Love what you Eat

Support each other around the house. Cooking, shopping, and getting creative on planning meals can be a lot of fun when done together. Dry, bland chicken can get boring. Two heads are certainly better than one with meal ideas. Loving what you eat can make or break you when focusing on eating healthy. And remember to set aside time to enjoy a wonderful dinner.

4.

Fit Dates

One great date is to go to the local Farmer’s Market, spend time seeing the attractions, and pick out some fresh produce to cook together that night. It is nice to know where your food is coming from and even nicer when made with your partner.

5.

Support

Be supportive and realistic in your goals. It is important to realize that relationships involve compromise and to be thoughtful of your significant others plans and goals as well as your own. At different times, one partner may need more support than the other. Eventually, it will come around when you need it. The synergistic effect of a couple that supports each other is truly rewarding.

No matter what stage of fitness you are in, it is paramount that we embrace and share our love with our partner. Fitness is but one thing that can enhance our lives – both as individuals and as a couple. It’s important to embrace and nurture it!

-Stay Strong; It’s more than Physical-