Compromising for Your Fitness
We’ve all been in the same boat at some point. We have a regular gym routine. We are staying true to our nutrition plan, and not showing any shortfalls when it comes to our health. Then we stop being single. One of my greatest inherent fears of being in a serious relationship are the compromises I have to make with my (admittedly somewhat overly) demanding gym routine. I wake up at 7:15 a.m. four days a week and immediately pack my bag for the day with work clothes and a protein shake. I’m out the door at 8:15 a.m. and I don’t return home until 9 p.m. that night. That doesn’t leave much time during the week to socialize. It makes it very difficult to keep both a healthy routine, and a healthy social life coexsisting. However, there are a few techniques I’ve stumbled on to keep everything moving a long smoothly.
1) Be flexible with your routine, but not your routine.
A bit confusing, sure. If your significant other wants to go out one night, go! You can always sleep in, and go to the gym the next night. Granted, this takes some planning on your part, preparing adequate nutrition post-make-up-night at the gym to be back in the next morning. Possibly an extra change of clothes if you happen to be sleeping somewhere strange (but who doesn’t keep a spare outfit in their trunk?). What you don’t want to do is ruin your actual gym routine. Make the day happen, regardless of what time it happens at.
2) Find ways to do it together.
This is a tricky one. Depending on your personality, working out with your partner can be a good or bad situation. I, for one, loathe working out with distractions. The good-looking guy I decided to date would most definitely be a distraction. That doesn’t eliminate the possibility of going together. Simply keep what you’re doing, and what they’re doing separate. Alternate days of weightlifting and cardio, take different fitness classes, or if you’re particular activity can be done together but separately (think cycling or swimming) do it together! It does help to have someone that will push you to be better.
3) If it is not worth the compromise, it’s not worth the time.
“A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down…” Unfortunately, there’s no way to sugarcoat this pill; it’s a hard one to swallow. If you find yourself questioining whether it is worth compromising your health and fitness routine, take a long hard look at the relationship as a whole. Many times (and I’ve found this from personal experience) people are quick to cut you down and attempt to hold you back from achieving a greater you. If that is the kind of person you’re with, you might do your psyche a favor and distance yourself.
Any other tips you might have, feel free to share below in the comments.
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