Joint training as a way to strengthen relationships

Teresa DiDonato writes that during exercise, the body experiences the same “symptoms” as during love: a rapid heart rate, uneven breathing, and the release of endorphins. At an unconscious level, a training partner perceives these manifestations as a sign of sexual attraction, which, of course, has a positive effect on relationships. Shared interests and goals (lose weight, gain muscle mass, run a marathon, etc.) also work to strengthen the union.

There are many more reasons to exercise. This is a good way to spend time together, and active and regular. Usually we are busy with work, household chores and problems, but training is a daily routine item that should not be missed. By the way, why not? If you train together, the temptation to skip a workout because of poor health or mood is less. After all, this is how you let your partner down and show a lack of willpower.

We asked three fitness instructors from different disciplines to share what workouts are best for couples and how they work in practice.

Martial Arts

“Married couples do not come to martial arts training as often as we would like,” says Ilya Frank, coordinator of this direction in the X-Fit network. – However, it happens that a man goes to boxing first, and after a while a partner joins him. There are many positives in such joint training. First of all, it is a surge of negative energy. After an emotional discharge in the hall of the house, there will be no strength for everyday reproaches and whims, and even more so for quarrels.

Boxing, kickboxing and wrestling are quite aggressive. At the first training session, for many, the hand does not rise to the partner. But people step over themselves and do things that they would never do in ordinary life. But, of course, everything goes at the amateur level – without injuries, knockouts and broken noses. So the risk of “receiving for real” from a loved one is extremely weak.

How can partners help each other? You can encourage, especially when doing endurance exercises such as climbing or plank. You can also help each other with a joint load, for example, transferring bags for a while.

There is a good exercise – “fifteen”: the partners stand opposite each other and depict a freestyle fight: they try to touch the shoulder and knee, simulating a blow to the head and torso. Usually a man succumbs and allows his partner to pin him down so that the fight becomes more or less equal. But sometimes there are very clever girls, and then the man has to give all his best.

Usually partners compete with each other and try to perform exercises better. Therefore, almost always, training in pairs is much more effective than individual ones. ”

Yoga

“Women have more elastane, they are more flexible, and men have more collagen, more strength,” explains Marina Badretdinova, personal yoga trainer. – To balance their physical data and make the body more functionally developed, it is useful for men to stretch, and for women to strengthen muscles. Yoga is suitable for both tasks. It is clear that asanas, which are easy for women, do not work for men at all. And vice versa. For example, a woman may perform a lock in twisting asanas in the very first lesson, and a man may never do this. But everywhere there are exceptions.

During pair sessions, partners usually help each other in every possible way – insure, help to stretch and reach out. This develops the ability to trust and be a support. In order to insure each other, partners can perform such asanas as shirshasana (headstand) or pincha mayurasana (elbowstand). To improve stretching, asanas such as samokanasana are suitable, where one partner, leaning on the other, pulls him towards himself.

For confidence training, try Acro Yoga. In this kind of ancient practice, one person is a support base, and the second is a “pilot”, he performs asanas, leaning on the partner’s feet or hands almost in the air, without touching the ground. Perhaps this type of yoga is best suited for strengthening relationships.

Gym

“Typically, fitness goals are different for men and women. This means that there are different ways to achieve them. But it’s not difficult to find common points in a training program,” says Marina Shlyakhtina, senior trainer at the X-Fit fitness club “Park Pobedy” Premium. “First, warm-up. It can and should be done together, whether you work out at the gym or at home. Muscle warm-up and stretching exercises are not only versatile, but can also be done in pairs. This opportunity should not be missed.

To make training interesting for both partners, it is necessary to provide exercises in which it is difficult or impossible to do without a partner. The most common is the press. It is more pleasant to do various lifts when the stalls fix your legs. A girl can increase the load of a simple push-up for a man – just put a little pressure on the back of the chosen one. If one of the partners is not a fan of fitness clubs, he can simply help his partner at home. It also brings you closer.”