man and woman prepare to workout holding xertube

Why Working Out With Your Significant Other is Awesome

March 6, 2017

by: Michelle White

Here at SPRI, we believe that in order to get better every day, you have to have support. Everyone one of us finds that support in different places. This Valentine’s Day, we want to let two lovebirds talk about why they hit the gym together each morning, and why they love it.

“They are both hard work but well worth it. A romantic relationship that is worth something is always going to be hard work, just like getting in shape and becoming healthier require time and effort.” - Amy Baglan, CEO and founder of MeetMindful.com and Yoga Dates.

Brittany and Drew Vriesman are both working full time jobs and balancing busy schedules. They inspire us with their committed morning workouts. Below they talk about why they love it, and why its challenging.

How do you motivate each other? How does that help you become more thoughtful partners in other aspects of your life?

We try to vocalize our goals to one another and provide support both inside and out of the gym. For example, we’ve both been trying to loose weight, and Drew helps keep me in check when I mindlessly eat, which is one of my struggles. Drew on the other hand is working on his flexibility and he typically keeps going back to the same poses, so I have been teaching him yoga that will help him increase his flexibility.

How does your workout routine influence healthy habits at home?

We’ve built a routine over the past 3 years to wake up at 4:45am and hit the gym first thing in the morning. This helps set the tone for our day; we begin by doing something healthy for ourselves and we are doing it together. Eating healthy is also a major part of our health routine. We have made it part of our weekly practice to prep meals for breakfast and lunch. This helps us make better food decisions throughout the week. Brittany has also helped teach me about food quality. What we eat makes a huge impact on all the hard work we put in at the gym.

How does exercising together help you connect outside the gym?

Communicating our health and fitness goals translates well and provides good practice for discussing personal and professional goals as well.

Having each other as gym partners means always having a spotter you trust. Are there other ways having each other as gym partners helps you keep up your fitness routine?

Accountability. When one of us is really tired and struggling to get up in the morning, it helps to have the other person to push us to get up. And if I’m being honest, Drew is the better of the two of us in getting my butt out of bed in the morning and to the gym. I might not always make it there by 5a if it weren’t for him… Drew is also really good about keeping an 8:30p bedtime!

What are some downsides to your routine of exercising together daily?

When Drew farts in the gym… but it helps clear out the machines I want to use… ;) For me personally I struggle when Drew critiques my form or offers suggestions. He is coming from a loving and supportive place, which I have to remind myself, but sometimes my ego gets in the way and I get frustrated. It is a good way however to check yourself and be open to help and feedback from someone else.

Anything else you want to share about why its awesome to workout with your significant other?

Drew gets to see me in yoga pants every morning!

It’s easy to get stuck in a workout routine rut, so it’s awesome to have a significant other to help suggest a variety of different exercises to change things up. It’s also fun to do abs days together, we take turns picking exercises in our super sets.

Here are six great exercises to do with your favorite person this Valentine’s Day.

Run-in-Place: Braided TD SpeedCord: