The Epic Spartan Valentine's Day At-Home Couples Core Workout
We all know that staying in great shape is a huge factor in having a great, active life (which also contributes to a super solid love life). So in honor of Valentine's Day, we're here to tell you why a couples home workout can revamp more than your fitness routine. (Plus, an epic core workout to try together.)
Krista Stryker, the founder of 12 Minute Athlete, says that a shared commitment to fitness can enhance a romantic relationship.
Related: Celebrate Valentine’s Day the Spartan Way With This Couples Gym Workout
“Not only will staying in shape help make you more attractive to your partner and vise versa, but you’ll both feel more like the other person cares enough to not totally let themselves go,” she says.
And if you're single this Valentine's Day, no sweat! (But also, no excuses not to get your sweat on.) You can still get the same benefits from this at-home core burner. Grab a friend and get cracking.
The Benefits of Doing a Couples Home Workout
Working out at at home together — as opposed to hitting the gym, joining a sports league, or venturing outdoors — offers some unique benefits.
1. You Cut Down Travel Time to the Gym
Most obviously, it saves time and effort since you don’t have to go anywhere.
“Not having time to exercise is most people’s biggest excuse for missing a workout, and home workouts (especially short, high-intensity workouts) are a huge help for busy people,” Stryker says.
And for couples who live together, working out at home is easy, because you’re already there consistently together.
2. You Don't Need Much Equipment to Get Sweating
Working out at home also allows you to avoid distractions, as well as wait times for the equipment you want to use. In fact, most home bodyweight workouts tend to use little or no equipment. Win, win. Just grab your sneakers and get moving.
Related: 12 of the Best Bodyweight Exercises for Functional Strength
3. You Can Get Creative (and No One Is Watching You)
“Another huge benefit is that home workouts can be tailored to any fitness level to make them more or less challenging," she says. "For example, a basic push-up can be made easier by placing your hands on an elevated surface, and can be made more difficult by adding a plyometric element (think: clapping or superman push-ups) or by working one-armed variations. The possibilities are endless!”
4. You and Your Partner Can Motivate Each Other
Many people find it hard to motivate themselves to work out at home, and feel they need to be in a gym or other dedicated exercise space to "get in the zone” mentally. That said, having a partner alongside you can make this a non-issue.
“If you have fairly separate lives and don’t see each other as often as you’d like, exercising together can be a great way to spend time together as a couple," Stryker says.
Related: 4 Unforgettable (and Unforgiving) Couples Workouts for Valentine’s Day
Plus, going through a difficult workout with your partner can actually enhance the chemical bond between the two of you when oxytocin — a hormone that creates feelings of comfort — is released. It also makes the sweat session go by quickly, and it can be more fun than working out alone.
"And if something is more fun, you’ll both be that much more likely to do it,” she says.
The Epic Valentine's Day Core Couples Home Workout
The following core-burning workout can be performed with a single medicine ball. Be aware that it should be performed in a room with a sturdy floor, since bouncing a medicine ball puts force on the floor.
The Workout
Perform the following exercises with your partner, in order:
- 10 squat throws each, back and forth
- 10 ball transfer push-ups each
- 5 forward lunges per leg with chest pass
- 5 medicine ball slams into plank
- 5 squats with rotational toss per side
- 10 plank rolls, back and forth
- 10 sit-up and throws
Complete 3 rounds, resting as little as possible between reps and sets.
Don't Have a Med Ball? No Sweat. Here's How to Modify
If you don’t have a medicine ball, substitute bodyweight-only exercises, but double (or triple) the number of reps: 20 burpees, 10 lunges each side, a one-minute front or side plank, squats with rotation, a one-minute push-up in plank position, and 20 off-center sit-ups is a solid starting point.
To make the workout harder, you can add one-armed pushup-position planks and forward jump squats.
