I love a fun workout with my baby! Anyone else? It’s multitasking at it’s finest! Burning calories and spending time together. It’s a win win situation.
I guess I’m sexist hahaha but I just assume he is the guy so he’s going to win the race and do more squats so I totally lose my competitive craziness and have fun! I know, shocker for me isn’t it?
Seriously though, you gotta let your man win a few things right?
LOL.
So back to our beach workout. Anton really really really loves running. He’s already run 150 miles this month (for the wedding of course) easily. I’m like OMG that’s way way way too much! But he loves it and every so often I decide to join him.
Well, I basically make sure I am very well rested and have a clear schedule that day and the next so I can recover.
Saturdays are usually perfect.
If you’re not a runner (like me) I recommend starting easy. Try 2 miles or 20 minutes then work your way into more. And if he’s a great runner and you’re a newbie, divide your workout in two parts: his and hers. The “his” part is the run and the “her” part is yours to create!
So the run is easy to design and create. Get to the beach and “go.” Whoever is the strongest runner can do extra stuff so they don’t get bored or feel like the workout is too easy. Sometimes Anton takes me piggy back for short distances- that way I get to breathe and he gets tired with the extra weight of me on his back! Other times he runs in zig zag lines back and forth in front of me. It’s kinda entertaining actually- I’m always laughing!
And if you really want to make them stay with you, try this trick. I invited Anton on a Torrey Pines hike after his 12 mile run. He was all for it until I started running. “This wasn’t part of the deal he says.” LOL. Well, 4 miles later (he still coulda run circles around and beyond me) I told him he did such a great job keeping up with me.
HAH!
Poor guy… he just gave me this look… well, that made mile 16 for him… those Brad Pitt abs are coming in time for Italy- I can feel it! 🙂
As for the other “half” of the workout? Now that’s my specialty. I love lunges, mountain climbers, planks to pikes and so forth and so on. If you don’t mind getting sandy, this is the perfect workout for you!
Like I said before in my Couples Workout Therapy blog, I think the couples who workout together, stay together. Cardio and exercise is so therapeutic… and no talking is necessary! All you need is a place to run.
Having Anton be in charge of one half of the workout, and me the other half, well it’s just perfect. That way we both get to do what we want and are good at “it” half of the time. The other half, our significant other is challenging us to new levels and kicking our butts!
In other words, you can keep your strong ego half the time and lose it the other half. A little “humbling” is good for us all, right?
So let’s talk about the ideal beach workout, shall we? Here I’ve listed my fave moves and the minutes required to get into tip top shape with your baby!
- Pick a day convenient to you both to get a couples workout in!
- Divide the workout in two: each of you is responsible for one half of the workout.
- The first half should be 20-30 minutes and include cardio. You could speed walk on the beach, slow jog or fast run. It’s all up to the pace of the slowest person. The “speed demon” can get creative so they don’t leave their babe behind!
- The second half of the workout should be plyometric based for 20-30 minutes. Lunges, squats, knee highs, side planks and planks with mountain climbers, knee  highs and pikes are all a great way to burn calories and have fun!
- Last but not least, get silly! Sometimes we get lost in the waves- literally! I tried to avoid getting soaked but as you can see, it really did not work. Anton even started running in the water which is quite challenging for the legs. A lady actually came to criticize him for stupidly getting his shoes and clothes wet. LOL… our fun is not for everyone I suppose. But for us, we wouldn’t have it any other way!
My advice to couples is to burn calories, blast fat and have a great time with eachother! Get silly, talk, tease, be naughty- do whatever makes you feel good. Leave the competition to men and their friends and girls and their friends. Or school or work… not the relationship!
Who has anything to add? Ladies? Men? Do you have a fave workout you’d like to share because I’d love to hear it?!
The weekends are meant to be spent together! Burn those calories, run those errands and hit your local happy hour spot afterwards!
I’m off to finalize wedding plans… yikes so little time left I hope I’m not forgetting any details!
xx Shanna