Does a Sedentary Partner Effect Your Workout?

Its hard enough to find time to workout consistently, but when you don’t have a good support system, it can make it that much harder. Just like how its easier to have that second helping of dessert when all your friends are, its easier to skip your workouts in favor of sleeping in or watching TV with your significant other.

For the first few years of my boyfriend and I’s relationship, he was a workout-a-phobe.  I couldn’t even get him to walk to the pizza joint up the street.  He smoked, never ate a vegetable that wasn’t covered in cheese or breading, and slept in until 2:00pm is I let him. 

So, when I went to the gym, or to take my dog for a walk, it was always alone. While I worried about his health, I knew I couldn’t force him to workout, so my workouts were my alone time- which I loved.  None of my friends worked out, so I didn’t have any workout buddies, but I didn’t mind.  I workout to feel good, look good, gain energy, and stay healthy- that’s the only motivation I needed.

I always asked my boyfriend to come along with me, and he always politely declined. I tried really hard not to nag him, but I always offered, just in case. 

 Eventually, my boyfriend decided to give up smoking, and I was thrilled. A few weeks in, he simply said, “I think I need to start working out.” I was even more thrilled. We signed him up at the gym up the street from my house, and we started going twice a week together, so I could teach him what he needed to know and then I continued working out on my own on my off days.

Now, we workout together constantly. While I still worked out on my own, I now workout even more, and enjoy it more too.  We make an evening of it on Fridays, going to the gym after work then usually out to dinner and then finding something to do later in the night. I help teach him about working out, and its often the topic our conversations.  Its nice to see someone I love, love the same things I do, and take care of himself.

The biggest thing I learned is that you can’t change someone. You gotta look out for number one- that’s you, so do what you need to do to take care of yourself and try not to get sucked into other people’s bad habits.  The best thing you can do is lead by example, and be respectful of other people’s decisions. They may come around, they may not, but be supportive and never, never nag.

Do you have a sedentary partner? Do you find that it effects your own health habits?