Motivating Your Partner to Exercise

Well folks, we did it! Illinois has now joined the ranks of several other enlightened states in moving forward to full equality for all! I hope you are ready for all of those gay wedding invitations that are coming. And what better way to celebrate this victory than by taking care of ourselves and our loved ones through the amazing gift of exercise and health? Nice segue, right? It makes sense though if you think about it. This celebration of love is a reminder that living long healthy lives with our loved ones is what is really important. There is no better way to improve your health than to eat healthy and to exercise regularly. But what happens when one partner is incredibly enthusiastic about training and eating healthy while the other is not? In this article, I will try to give some tips on advice on motivating the less than enthusiastic partner to train and eat healthy. Yes, it is possible!

There are several ways to encourage your partner to start exercising and eating healthy. I will be touching on the following topics:

1. Quality time.

2. Being the leader.

3. Pointing out the benefits.

4. Rewards.

Quality time. There is no better way to encourage your partner to exercise than to invite him to train with you. OK, I know, some of you like to train on your own. I get that, and I am the same way. However, by inviting your partner along, it gets him in the routine of exercising. Once he is in that routine, he will hopefully be able to venture out on his own and do his own training. But in my experience, I have found that many couples do like to exercise together. It can greatly enhance motivation for both because it becomes a team effort. In a certain sense, it really does become quality time. Exercise outings can also be seen as dates. Instead of going out to dinner together, why not climb a rock wall together? It can add a sense of variety and fun into your relationship while at the same time increasing adherence to exercise. Exercise can also make great foreplay. Just saying.

Being the leader. If you make a strong and conscious effort to schedule exercise dates for you and your partner and he is still not receptive, it may then be time to take matters to a the next level. I may get some grief for this, but I believe it is ok to put your foot down and schedule exercise outings for you and your partner without him necessarily knowing about it at first. Make it a surprise. Tell him that you have something special planned for the two of you. Just tell him to dress comfortably and to trust you. And then you unveil the surprise: a trip to the local Cross Fit class! Yes, you may get a dirty look at first, but chances are that he will feel better about himself afterward. But in truth, this kind of planning is not always necessary. Sometimes, all you need to do to be a leader is to be a good role model. When your partner sees all of the progress you are making from your own training, he may very well be inspired to start his own exercise regimen. It may not be as intense as yours, but it will be a beginning. And that is always the most difficult hurdle to overcome. If he sees you eating healthy all of the time and experiencing increased energy and weight loss, it may indeed inspire him to start eating healthy as well. Leading by example is always the best way to inspire.

Pointing out the benefits. Ok, so let's say you've tried all of the above tactics and it is still not working. Here's something else you can try: Make it a point to talk about all of the benefits you are experiencing from your own training. Saying things like "Man, I feel so good from that run; it just gives me so much energy!" can really make an impact on your partner. Or "Wow, that workout really pumped me up; I feel like I am getting leaner and stronger every day!" The point is not to make them feel guilty. It is quite the opposite. You love this person. You want them to be healthy and you want them to feel as good as you do. It's about inspiring and educating them. This can work with healthy eating as well. Make it a point to talk about the increased energy you have from a clean calorie diet. If your next doctor's visit shows improvements from your last check-up, make sure you mention those improvements. Examples would be lowered blood pressure and cholesterol. Sometimes health screenings can be the greatest motivators of all.

Rewards. By this point, hopefully you have at least gotten your partner to start making some healthy changes. As I said before, the beginning of a journey is always the most difficult part of that journey. One way to help keep him on that journey is to give him rewards. Rewards by the way don't always have to cost money. Sometimes just saying "Honey, I am really proud of you" can be the greatest reward he could ask for. Verbal sentiments go a long way. However, it is also ok to treat your partner if you are so inclined. If he meets all of his exercise goals for the week, schedule a spa outing for the two of you and make it a surprise. If he meets all of his nutrition goals for the week, take him out for a small cheat dinner as a reward. At this point, he may not want a cheat dinner and that is ok too. I am a fan of having one cheat per week- just one. It can improve adherence and act as a nice reward for all of the hard work performed during the week, both in the gym and in the kitchen.

There is no question about it- exercise is hard work. Healthy eating can seem like a chore. I hope I have given you some ideas on how you make it a routine for yourself as well as for person that you love. Once it becomes routine it can greatly improve the quality of our lives both physically and mentally. Isn't that what we want for our partners? Or should I say husbands? Yes folks, we are moving forward in every way! Let's include our health and well-being in that as well.

Thanks for reading. Be healthy!

Michael Elder has been working as a fitness professional in Chicago for the last fifteen years. He comes from a background in gymnastics and is certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). He can be contacted directly through his website, www.MichaelElder.com.