News: A Labour of Love?

A new survey has discovered that couples who work out together stay together.

• 55% of long-term couples would rather go to the gym together than the cinema
• 61% women polled feel ‘guilty’ after dining out with their partner
• A third of women polled felt more confident with a male gym companion
• 21% of couples polled admitted to arguing when taking part in competitive sports such as tennis and squash
• Top couple-friendly work-outs include swimming, free-weights and spinning

If you’re stuck for creative yet romantic ideas on where to take your other half this Valentine’s Day, look no further than your local gym.

Although not traditionally deemed the most romantic of date destinations, a workout with your other half may prove more successful than an expensive dinner or theatre outing according to findings from a recent survey by Hale Country Club & Spa, which claims that couples who work out together have far happier relationships.

Celeb Sweethearts Sweat it Out

According to the survey, increasing numbers of long-term couples* are adopting similar dating routines to super-healthy LA celebrities such as Gwen Steffani and husband Gavin Rossendale, and shunning expensive meals in restaurants and conversation-less cinema outings in favour of couple work-outs.

Over half (55%) of those polled admitted they’d rather head to the gym with their partner than a restaurant.

Cross Training Beats Angry Words

Couples who work out together said they argued on average once a month, compared to once a week for non-active partners.

Reasons for veering away from traditionally romantic activities included saving money, improving fitness, avoiding guilt-laden meals – a staggering 61% women admitted to feeling guilty after dining with their partner - and shunning uncomfortable environments such as intimidating expensive restaurants.

Couple-Friendly Fitness

However, for anyone thinking of recommending a workout with a partner, competitive sports such as tennis or squash are not advisable as 21% of couples polled admitted to having argued at least once when competing against one another in sport. Instead, swimming, spinning and free-weights were voted top couple-friendly activities.

Of the females polled, 33% also stated that they felt more confident in the gym with their partner as a male companion provided confidence with intimidating gym equipment and weights.

Kevin Wiltshire, personal trainer, said:  “I train lots of couples together who genuinely enjoy working out alongside one another - exercise stimulates the release of the ‘happiness chemical’ endorphins which people associate with feeling good. Therefore when people work out with one another they associate this exercise companionship with feeling happy.”

 

*Long-term relationship classed as one year or more