Apr
30
United we stand; how to talk to your partner about getting fit
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Exercise, Motivation
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- United We Stand: How to motivate your friends and loved ones to improve their health
This week we’re going to be talking about communicating your fitness and health goals with those around you. There’s no question that the people around us impact every aspect of our lives. Our friends, family and loved ones are the social fabric that we build our lives around. They’re also very important when it comes to health since they help us decide what to eat, when to eat, how to be active, when to be active and how we feel about ourselves and our bodies. To put it plainly, you’re not going to be successful in your health goals without good communication with those around you. Today, we’re going to start with that most important person of all, your partner. I’m going to be using my fiance as an example but this applies to boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives or any other domestic partner you might have.
No Surprises
First of all, forget about the surprise diet. I know we all want to surprise our partners with our new bodies, but that’s just not realistic. Getting healthy is a long term process. It’s not something you can do for three weeks without anyone noticing and then just pop off your clothes and show off the new bikini. Your partner will notice and they’ll be curious as to what you’re doing. So before you start on any major life changes, talk to your partner. Make sure they understand why you’re doing this and how you plan going about it. There’s nothing wrong with trying to get healthier.
Information Collection
Another reason to talk to your partner is because they can tell you things about yourself you might have missed. People have the oddest eating habits and sometimes they don’t even realize it. Your partner might have noticed things that you never realized you did. Your partner also spends a large portion of their time thinking about what you like, so they might have ideas for combining physical activity into your routine. One of the best examples of this from my own experience was snoring. I never realized I had a problem with snoring. My fiance did, and because of her I was able to start addressing the problem. Now I sleep better at night which helps me achieve my health goals.
Motivation and Moral Support
Your partner is also one of the best sources for motivation and moral support. We do so much simply because we enjoy seeing our partner happy. Health could be one of those things. Talking to your partner could provide you with the motivation you need to start and keep improving your life. They’ll notice the little things you’re doing. They’ll notice when you lose weight or gain muscle. They’ll notice when you take them out dancing rather than just sit at home watching the TV. Just like you encourage them, they’ll encourage you.
Active Participation
Here’s the hard part. Do you ask your partner to actively participate in your health plan? There are some things that your partner might have to change. For example, eating habits. If you live with your partner and are trying to eat healthier, they might need to change too. It’s almost impossible to eat healthy if your partner keeps ordering pizza and bringing McDonalds home. You don’t need to have the exact same diets, but you do both need to have the same level of healthy eating habits. I’m a vegetarian but my fiance is not. Seems bad but it really isn’t because we both enjoy the same healthy habits. Neither of us eats fast food and we both stay away from most snacks. So even though she eats meat and I don’t, it’s not really an issue. So yes, your partner might have to change their eating habits.
Also, it’s really nice to be physically active together. Hiking, dancing, even working out at the gym, these are all things you can do with your partner. Spending an evening together? How about you both go out for a walk. Going out to do something? How about dancing instead of a movie. Spending the weekend together? How about a hike. You’ll be healthier and your relationship will be stronger. By the way, there’s no reason why going to the gym can’t be an activity you do with your partner. The myth about male and female workouts being different is utter crap. Women aren’t going to develop bulging muscles just because they work out with a guy and guys are not going to spend all day on the thigh master just because they work out with a woman.
That said, there are some thing you will not do together. My fiance has a back injury, so she doesn’t work out with me. I don’t know how to ride horses, so I don’t go with her when she goes horse back riding. This is fine. You’re not expected to spend 100% of every waking day with your partner. You’re going to have different interests and there will be some things you’re not going to do together.
Summary
Get your partner on board before you start making changes to your life. They’re an invaluable source of information and support. Plus any change you make to your life is bound to affect them.
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