Who better to give your heart some love than your significant other?
That’s why we’re giving you these ideas for couple’s workouts. Because fitness with a partner is great for accountability, routine, and, well, being a little less bored with exercise. Everything’s more fun when you’re doing it with the person you love.
1. Cycling
Taking your bike for a spin can be even more fun with a partner. It’s a great cardiovascular workout that’s relatively easy on the joints. There are endless routes, meaning you can calibrate your trek for a mutually beneficial intensity level. Feeling competitive? You can race. Just want to get some fresh air and work up a sweat while catching up on conversation? You can do that too.
2. Dancing
Obviously, this one is made for couples. If you and your partner only dance at the occasional wedding, try taking lessons for salsa or another energetic style. Dance is a fun way to elevate your heart rate and increase core strength while becoming more flexible and better balanced. A 30-minute class should burn approximately as many calories as a jog of the same length.
3. Hiking
Disappearing into nature for some solitude can be great. But why not enjoy the great outdoors with your partner? Hikes can be done at various paces and difficulties, and they’re especially useful if you and your significant other are at different fitness levels. Simply carry more weight to even out the challenge if necessary.
4. Running
The most basic of aerobic exercises is also perfect for couples. It’s especially useful if you’re able to build it into the rest of your day—for instance, running somewhere for that breakfast or lunch the two of you were going to enjoy together anyway.
5. Circuit Training
Whether you’re at the gym, in the park, or just at home, alternating between floor exercises at set intervals is perfect with a partner. Plus, the possibilities are endless—push-ups, planks, squats, lunges, burpees… all of these moves can get both of you sweaty without needing equipment or any encouragement besides the other.
6. Yoga
As long as you’re on the floor, why not do some partner yoga? Many poses work best with two people, and they’re a good way to get (physically) close while improving balance, flexibility, joint health, stress relief, and much more. Partner yoga adds the other person’s resistance to the equation, expanding the universe of poses you can perform.