Exercising together with your partner can bring many benefits to both your relationship and your own athletic performance. Couples training is a great way to spend time together and keep fit at the same time. Here are a few positive effects that training with your partner can provide.
Pursuing common goals
The first positive aspect of running as a couple is sharing a common sport and common goals. It’s a special combination of spending time together pursuing a common passion and supporting each other. Excersising as a pair is much more challenging and fun than doing it alone. Chatting while running and motivating each other to get out of the house when the weather is bad are additional benefits. You get to exchange experiences, tips, decide together the program, days and times of training.
Running with your partner is also an opportunity to break the daily routine. You can rediscover the pleasure of doing something together and put a little spice in the relationship. A joint sporting activity can also bring out sides and peculiarities of your partner that are not visible in everyday life – whether this should be seen as positive or negative remains to be seen 😉
Overcoming limits
Running is also a way to overcome your limits. Probably the physical and athletic level of the two partners is different: this should not be an obstacle but make the training even more challenging.
Don’t pretend to be at the same level, this would only lead to nervousness and problems in training: the one who is more performing must not lower his or her level too much to adapt to that of their partner, because it would be frustrating. At the same time, the other cannot push themselves too far beyond their abilities, because training would become detrimental and would only lead to stress and injuries from over-exertion. Be honest with each other and plan your workout in a way that conforms to the athletic gifts of both of you.
Here are some ideas on how to make training challenging for both of you:
- Interval training: in order for interval training to make sense for both parties, it is important that the pace is tailored to the individual’s abilities and not based on that of the partner. However, if the start is in the same place and at the same time, the faster person can turn around during the interval to be able to start at the same level as their training partner at the next start. If there are minor differences in performance, the slower person can also increase speed during the break.
- Focus on technique: training with a slightly slower person is a good opportunity to hone your running technique. Use the opportunity to improve your cadence, breathing, and posture.
- Split training: this is a particularly useful option for long training sessions. The person with the greater ability can first run alone for a while and then complete the second part of the workout with a partner.
- Coaching each other and improving technique: the more experienced person can pass on their knowledge about running techniques.
Strengthening the relationship
Finally, exercising with your partner helps strengthen your relationship (at least hopefully!). If running is a passion for both of us, we not only share what we love with those we love, but we enliven that passion by making it more fun and challenging. Shared efforts to reach a common goal (participating in and finishing a marathon for example), memories of training sessions, spending time together in nature and relaxing after training – all of these aspects cement and solidify the relationship, creating common ground to compare notes. It’s also an opportunity to stimulate communication within the couple. Because you certainly can’t complain about not having enough time to talk while running.