Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Getting in Shape
Getting in Shape
New Discussion
Options

Working out with your SO?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] member
First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer First Anniversary
in Getting in Shape
Hi all! My FH & I are still probably a year out from our wedding. Right after he proposed one of my good friends from college offered to take some pictures of us. We, of course, said yes. When we were looking through the pictures he said, "Why do I look so huge...? :(" So I told him that, once we're in the same state again (which will hopefully be soon) we'll go on a wedding diet & exercise plan. I like running, and plan on continuing it, but he haaaaaaaates it. I'm looking into finding hiking trails near where he lives and going for walks around the neighborhood, stuff like that. I know it's not much, but we're also planning on getting dance lessons for the reception. So I'm going to look into some faster paced lessons as well, like swing dancing or something. 

He actually admitted that I'm the only person who could get him motivated to actually go and work out. (and our wedding is a perfect reason to start a healthier lifestyle, together) Any other tips for finding exercises that aren't your typical gym workouts that we can do together? Or your SO's favorite healthy meal?  
Report Reply to Post

Re: Working out with your SO?

  • Options
    Clio073Clio073
    First Comment
    Hiking is definitely something I do with the FI. We have talkied about bicycling together. Haven't done it though. My borhter and his wife do yoga at home together. Also, my FI and I do things that are already in our schedule and walk to them. Such as going to the grocery store and carring the things home in backpacks. Dancing is fun. Frisbee is another favorite of ours.

    Don't know if any of those help...
    Aug 2013 Brides - January Siggy Wedding Site, Pinecrest Lake: imageWedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Options
    firsttimersluckfirsttimersluck member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    My H and I are HUGE back packers, although it's an expensive start-up hobbie. We looooove hiking and it always makes us feel AMAZING. 
    Good for you for going in search or trails! 

    I also hate running, but H and I will do walk/run intervals from time to time. A lot of people hate running long distances.. It's embarassing when you can't run as long as your partner can. That's why we started intervals. Everyone can jog for a minute. Or a couple street blocks. THat might be an option for you to try to nudge him with down the road. 

    Why are you anti-gym type stuff? Lifting is important, but you can make it fun by doing tag team stuff, or you could start just doing ten push-ups a night together. Then up it the next week to 12, then 13, then... Same with squats, tricep dips/push ups, etc. There are lots of body weight exercises that will do WONDERS.

    Do you guys have bikes? My H hates biking, but that is an awesome "couples" thing.. As is horse back riding (holy moly inner thigh work out O.o) . 

    Frisbee is so much fun :) or even badmitton. (although we're kinda losing the season for those things).

    Dance classes are a GREAT idea, and things like living social and groupon often have deals for things like that! 

    Even just picking up evening walks around your block is wonderful. It's a great way to decompress after a long day and get to just.. catch up with your spouse before things like tv, dinner, phone calls, etc get in the way. 


    Report Reply
  • Options
    lbarr088lbarr088
    Combo Breaker First Comment First Anniversary
    H and I go to the gym together when I actually DO go to the gym.  Walks are always a good option.  I'm a runner and he isn't but he will often bike while I run.  It's nice because he sets the pace when he does that and sometimes it is a nice challenge.  

    There really are endless things that you guys can do together.  Just try a bunch and see what you like (biking, hiking, walking, swimming, crossfit like activities, etc. etc.).  
    Report Reply
  • Options
    itzMSitzMS member
    First Answer First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    edited October 2012
    My DH is not an exerciser. But he will go for a walk with me around the neighborhood and participate in the occassional living room situp/pushup contest with me!

    The most important thing will be to count calories and cut out fast food. Encourage your FI to start a food diary (he can use an app on his phone like LoseIt! or MyFitnessPal)
    Report Reply
  • Options
    firsttimersluckfirsttimersluck member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Oh! Oh! I forgot... 

    Paddleboarding (looooove. Paddleboard yoga is an all-time favorite of mine) 

    Kayaking
    Report Reply
  • Options
    freebread03freebread03 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper
    I'm a runner, and FI used to hate running, but after training for a few races, he got pretty into it.  It helped that he started coming to my running group with me--it became a social activity, he made some friends, we go out for happy hour afterwards sometimes, so it wasn't just about running (and he didn't have to run with me because there were other people, and didn't feel pressured to keep up with me).

    FI also recently started coming to crossfit with me.  I'd been going for a few months but was switching gyms, and got him to go try a class with me, and he loved it.  He now really enjoys crossfit-last night it was me, him, and two others in our class, and while we don't compete against each other, I do kind of enjoy trying to beat him :)  It pushes each of us and if one of us doesn't feel like going, the other talks us into it (same with running when we are doing a training program with a group).

    For recipes, I've started asking him what he feels like eating and trying to find a healthy substitute on skinnytaste.com; I came home the other day and found him making stuffed peppers (I try to find him simple recipes he can cook as well).  I also have him help me cooking more difficult meals so that he can see it's relatively easy and do it himself when he wants to eat something specific.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer First Anniversary
    Thanks for all the tips!

    firsttimersluck, we don't do the gym route because we're trying to live on a budget, and neither one of us can really afford a membership anywhere. I work 11-12 hours a day, and he's living at home with his parents, working 3 part time jobs, saving nearly everything he's earning & paying off student loans. Hopefully if we're able to close the distance this year (we are currently 500ish miles apart) I'll be working "more normal" hours and we're hoping he'll find a steady full-time job that gives him "more normal" hours as well. If that's the case, we'll probably look into a gym membership (especially if the gym offers classes we can do together!)

    It's great seeing so many others here who push each other to be healthier. We've both admitted we don't have the best diets and need to be more active. I think one of the things I'm going to push is portion control - we're both guilty of over-eating. Especially since he lives at home, I don't imagine his mom (when she cooks for the whole family) would be thrilled about him eating something different. 
    Report Reply
  • Options
    entropicbeautyentropicbeauty member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker First Comment
    DH will come with me to the gym sometimes, but he hates being in a dingy dark gym when he could be outside. 90% of the exercise we do together is going to the park and playing disk golf. We also like to ride bikes together.
    image
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards