Twice As Nice

Alicia and Matt Brooks of Batavia work out together at Synergy Kettlebell Training in St. Charles. Health and fitness are things the Brooks value in their relationship, and they truly enjoy doing them together. (Melissa Emory)

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Let’s face it — life is busy.

It’s so busy that it can become difficult for a couple to find time to exercise in between family obligations, work and all of life’s other challenges.

So, why not do it together?

Experts say exercising as a couple has many benefits and offers partners a great way to spend quality time together while getting in shape. Working out with a significant other can boost the bond between partners and improve their relationship.

That’s why more and more couples are hitting the gym, running trails or yoga studios in tandem.

Bob Garon, a professional fitness trainer and owner of Synergy Kettlebell Training in Aurora and St. Charles, says accountability is the number one reason why people don’t stick with an exercise program.
But exercisers are less likely to skip the gym if they know their workout partner is waiting there for them, Garon says.

“Most people drop an exercise program after 21 days,” he says. “If you are meeting someone at the gym, you are more likely to keep going because you don’t want to let the other down.” 

And what if your workout partner happens to be your wife? No husband likes to disappoint his wife, especially not Matt Brooks, 36, of Batavia.

A couple of years ago, Brooks and his wife, Alicia, 38, started going on walks together after dinner.
Last summer, Alicia Brooks participated in a walk-to-run class at Dick Pond Athletics in St. Charles. For a 10-week period, she trained in order to be able to run for 30 minutes nonstop. Then, she taught her husband the program, and the couple now runs together instead of walking. They plan to start running 5Ks together this summer.

Health and fitness are things the Brooks value in their relationship, and they truly enjoy doing them together. For their 10th wedding anniversary, they took a five-day vacation to Lake Las Vegas and ran every morning together. 

In addition to running, the Brooks work out together Saturday mornings at Synergy Kettlebell Training. Alicia Brooks joined the fitness center last July and was impressed by the results.

Before working with the kettlebells Synergy uses, Alicia Brooks says she could barely do five push-ups in a row. Now, she can do 25 push-ups in 30 seconds. She’s seeing muscles she’s never seen before, and her strength level is at an all-time high.  

“I have upper body strength now!” she says.

Impressed by his wife’s results, Matt Brooks joined Synergy last October. Alicia Brooks says she was awed by her husband’s ability to jump right in and do the movements.

“Matt is so strong,” she says. “It’s so cool to be able to visually see how strong he is.”

The couple’s children, Tommy, 5, and Isabella, 3, come to class with them on Saturday mornings and hang out in the kid room. Afterwards, the family goes to Jamba Juice together.

The Brooks go to Synergy individually several other days of the week and sometimes they attend an evening class together. But Saturday mornings are always reserved specifically for exercise time with each other.

When the couple works out with the kettlebells, Garon says they’re always encouraging one another to do one more swing or to be strong during a cycle. Watching their spouse provide support lights a fire under the couple, Garon says.

“When Matt or Alicia hears the other cheer them on, that pushes them and motivates them to keep going,” Garon says.

The couple enjoys working out together because they say it’s great to know they have someone right there who inspires them and truly cares about their well-being.

“We always have someone there to high-five after a workout,” Matt Brooks says.

It’s not always easy to make working out with a spouse actually work out. But Garon says one way to guarantee success is by choosing an exercise program that a couple can mutually agree upon. As a result, the twosome will be more likely to stick with it.

Also, couples should set ground rules for when they exercise together. Garon suggests dedicating certain days of the week as work-out days, making sure to stick to the schedule.

Since exercising is a big priority for the Brooks, they say they work hard at balancing gym time in their schedule along with kids, work and other commitments.  

Garon says exercising as a couple works so well for the Brooks because they have made it part of their routine, and they build their day around it. 

“That’s their time together,” Garon says.

The Brooks say having that time together definitely boosts the bond they have and improves their relationship. Along with everything else they have in common, a passion for exercising is just one more thing the couple can share.

“Exercising together gives us something that’s ours,” Matt Brooks says.     kc