My boyfriend, like many other guys, is nearly obsessed with lifting and exercising. He’s in the gym everyday and drinks pre-workout like it’s going out of style. When we started dating we didn’t work out together; in fact, we weren’t even members of the same gym. Our dates usually consisted of dinner and a movie. Then one day, he asked me to join him at the gym to work out together, and at first I was really hesitant. The idea of being drenched in sweat and dry-heaving in front of him wasn’t exactly appealing to me, but my boyfriend is nothing if not persistent, so I decided to try it.
That workout with him was challenging and exhausting but it was also exciting and a great bonding experience for us. We pushed each other and supported each other in a completely different way than we were used to. I had to trust him to spot me on bench press and he had to listen to my corrections for him on his form. We had to practice different forms of respect and trust that ended up strengthening our relationship overall. Then, after the workout, we went out to get a healthy lunch at a cafe and it was the best date we ever had simply because we both felt great.
Since that day, my boyfriend and I have found many different active dates. We go hiking, swimming, bike riding and we work out together daily. Working out together gives us more time to see each other throughout the day. Killing two birds with one stone, we get to see each other as well as get our workout in. Now the dates we go on bring us so much closer together than we ever were sitting by each other in a movie. There was a time when he had to lift me while we were rock climbing and I had to trust him to keep me safe. Another time when we held hands while cliff jumping. These dates keep us active and constantly leaning on each other for support in all different ways. We both feel great and have more energy and are therefore much happier—not just in each other but in ourselves as well.
My experience with exercising with my man is that we both feel good, we both look good and we are a lot closer as a couple. It keeps dates creative, adventurous and happens to be extremely inexpensive, so we tend to go on a lot of them. It was a big change in my relationship, certainly for the better, and I definitely recommend it for couples.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
Story By Anna Furrey