Over the years we have witnessed that it is far easier to make a change when you and your partner are on the same page regarding your health journey.
It is so much harder when you have to constantly have the willpower for TWO people.
We all have experienced how hard it is when you have certain intentions and our partner tempts you down the opposite path.
For example, you intended on a healthy home cooked meal tonight and your partner is twisting your rubber arm into takeaways.
You were having a great day ticking all the boxes and your partner opens a slab of your favourite chocolate right under your nose!
You want to go for a run and your partner convinces you to snooze just a little longer…
Fill in the blanks for yourself here with your own scenarios you have experienced.
What makes this hard is usually that the things that are bad for you are easier. It takes effort and intention to make healthier choices.
We get that partners need to have shared experiences to bond. We hope that we can help you balance those out with positive and healthy shared experiences.
There is hope!! We have witnessed many partners get an ‘upgrade’ on their partner over the years as people in our community strive to become better versions of themselves. In many cases, Sleekgeek has been responsible for these ‘upgrades’. That makes us very happy!
Health is a “Team Sport”
Shared priorities, values and goals are extremely powerful. We believe health is a team sport. At Sleekgeek we want the values of healthy living to filter into the homes of our people. A united front between partners is the perfect approach.
In a study undertaken by University College London, over 3,000 couples and their habits were analysed. Those that went to the gym together were more likely to beat their unhealthy habits than those that didn’t. Furthermore, the research pointed towards a phenomenon called the ‘halo-effect’, a powerful placebo effect which made couples feel warmer towards one another.
8-Week Couples Challenge
This is WHY in our Sleekgeek 8-Week Challenge we offer such an attractive discount to our couples.
Did you know that Couples
- Save R400 off the full price and pay R998 for a Couple entry (effectively R499 each instead of R699 each)
- Can win a R10,000 voucher to spend at adidas.
- Still qualify for individual prizes. So if your partner does not perform as well as you would have liked you can still win any of the other prizes.
Pretty awesome right? So that means entering as a couple is a no-brainer.
Want to be our next winning couple?
Read more about how to get involved in the Couples Challenge here
In our 2019 New Year 8-Week Challenge, we had a handful of Couples who excelled together.
Taking a short period like 8 Weeks and knuckling down together is an excellent bonding experience.
Elizna Prinsloo & Johann Prinsloo both placed second in their individual categories placing them as the winning couple.
Shared values
There is no doubt that is not easy if you are a really active person to be in a relationship with someone who hates being active. Or if you are committed to eating healthy and your partner wants to live on junk foods.
Of course, relationships are about compromise in either direction to achieve balance.
Partners do not have to share the same interests but sharing values is important and health is a value.
A value is one of your highest priorities. Where you spend your time, energy, thoughts, actions, money and attention.
It is never going to be easy if you value your health and your partner does not. Much like values such as religion, family and finances. Harmony on these “deal breakers” is ideal.
For me personally valuing health is a relationship deal breaker. I could not spend my life with someone who did not value their health.
We also understand that you may be newly excited about healthy living and this may be hard to deal with for your partner because you are undergoing a lifestyle change.
The Couples Challenge is an excellent opportunity to bring/drag them along for the ride haha..
A study in America by Michigan State University shows that couples who set out to achieve something together, be it quitting smoking or going to the gym, are close to 100% more likely to achieve success than those who go it alone. The trend, it turns out, is universal.
In our Summer 2018 Challenge Holy Lufele and Thato Ramagaga won our Couple Challenge for achieving the highest combined ranking by coming 1st in Women’s Transformation and 8th in Men’s Weightloss respectively.
Exercise releases endorphins in your body, a happy-hormone that reduces stress and increases pleasure. The word is a shortening of “endogenous morphine”, so it’s no surprise exercise makes you feel so good. And this feel-good factor is amplified with your significant other at your side.
Here are some reasons why couples who get healthy together win together that spring to mind:
I am sure you can think of some obvious reasons too.
- You do not have to prepare separate meals all the time
- You do not need to have the willpower for two people all the time
- Your partner understands your routine and appreciates it
- You can spend quality time together around healthy activities
- You are who you surround yourself with. – specifically, your partner should be the person who influences you most positively.
- You are more likely to have active and healthy friends.
- Cheat meals are a team sport
- Your sex life will benefit
- You can motivate each other on the days either partner is not feeling it.
- Accountability – Partners in crime – good crime!
- Knowledge transfer and shared learning.
- Stress relief for both of you
- Both happier and more energetic
- Both more confident and positive
- Bond over the fact that you share a lifestyle
- Couple’s discounts!
Winter Challenge 2018 Challengers, Marinda Badenhorst and Glen Badenhorst won our Couple Challenge for achieving the highest combined ranking by coming 1st in Women’s Transformation and 1st in Men’s Weightloss respectively.
5 excellent science-based reasons related to exercising together
Increase your happiness with your relationship.
Lab studies show that after jointly participating in an exciting physical challenge or activity, couples report feeling more satisfied with their relationships and more in love with their partner (Aron, Norman, Aron, & Heyman, 2000). Exercise is a perfect example of the type of invigorating activity that can have these positive effects. It’s the physiological arousal, rather than the novelty or challenge of the activity, that drives romantic attraction (Lewandowski, & Aron, 2004). This suggests that sharing a fitness goal (such as training for a 5K or triathlon), taking regular runs together, ballroom dancing, or having a date night at the gym can boost the quality of your romantic relationship.
Improve the efficiency of your workouts.
A long-standing concept in social psychology is that the mere presence of someone else affects your ability to do an activity (Zajonc, 1965). Even if you already feel competent doing a particular exercise, bringing along your romantic partner may be a fantastic way to boost your energy output. Your partner’s presence will improve your speed, without you necessarily being aware of their influence (Bond & Titus, 1983). (On the other hand, if you are just beginning to learn to do burpees or manage a new elliptical machine, better to stick to trying it solo for the time being. In these cases, your partner’s presence may interfere with your ability to complete a challenging task (Zajonc, 1965). Take some time to master the exercise, then bring your partner along for a performance boost.)
Make your partner fall in love with you.
Exercise induces the symptoms of physiological arousal—sweaty hands, a racing pulse, shortness of breath. These symptoms mirror, in many ways, the thrill of romantic attraction. Interestingly, people can easily mistake the two and misattribute physical arousal for romantic attraction (Dutton & Aron, 1974). Use this phenomenon to your advantage by inviting your romantic interest to workout with you. The results? A likely boost to your attractiveness in his or her eyes.
Help you achieve your fitness goals.
When partners care about fitness—their own and their partner’s—it becomes easier to achieve fitness goals. A recent study of heterosexual couples showed that average-weight husbands who care about fitness engage in more physical activity when their wives offer more supportive health-related comments (Skoyen, Blank, Corkery, & Butler, 2013). Sharing in the ups and downs of a daily morning walk, a tough bike ride, or a strenuous Zumba class, can provide the perfect context for such comments. One cautionary note: Don’t rely too heavily (or exclusively) on your partner when it comes to your own fitness goals. “Outsourcing” the mental effort required to complete fitness goals can reduce your own effort (Fitzsimons & Finkel, 2011).
Increase your emotional bond.
When you work out together, you create a context in which you can coordinate your actions. For example, you might lift weights in rhythm with your partner, match your own walking or running pace with his or hers, or toss medicine balls back and forth. Such behavior creates nonverbal matching, or mimicry, which benefits you both (Stel & Vonk, 2010). Nonverbal mimicry helps people feel emotionally attuned with one another, and those who experience or engage in it tend to report greater feelings of having “bonded” with their partner. Exercising together provides an opportunity to create such connection, benefiting both your health and your relationship.
It is clear that Couples who get healthy together win together!
If you need a kickstart for you and your partner our 8-Week Couples Challenge is the perfect springboard and catalyst.
Take action and enter our 8-Week Challenge
- Save R400 off the full price and pay R998 for a Couple entry (effectively R499 each instead of R699 each)
- Can win a R10,000 voucher to spend at adidas.
- Still qualify for individual prizes. So if your partner does not perform as well as you would have liked you can still win any of the other prizes.
Want to be our next winning couple?
Read more about how to get involved in the Couples Challenge here
In our New Year 2017 Julian Jones and partner Loren Agostini took the honours.
In our 2016 Summer Challenge, Terri Maasburg and Chad Backstrom won our couple’s challenge for coming 1st and 3rd in their categories respectively!
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