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Sweat together, stay together

Hout Bay locals JJ and Anja de Villiers shed a whopping 36kgs combined in just 8 weeks in the 2012 Summer Body Challenge.
Hout Bay locals JJ and Anja de Villiers shed a whopping 36kgs combined in just 8 weeks in the 2012 Summer Body Challenge.

One of the biggest reasons people drop out of an exercise programme is a lack of support and motivation. Especially for fitness newbies, the initial burst of excitement about embarking on a new exercise programme can quickly wane when the excuses start mounting.

The experts all advise one way to combat this is to exercise with a buddy. That way you will get out of bed to meet them at the gym if you know they’re waiting for you.

This is one of the reasons the latest SleekGeek Challenge is aimed at couples and friends.

Founder of SleekGeek, Elan Lohmann says the reason for this is that often people in your life can act as “enablers” or “disablers” to your goals. “In the community we have produced many success stories between friends and between couples who worked together towards a common goal.”

Get healthy together

DietDoc recently wrote an article detailing how much research has shown that married people, and those in long-term relationships tend to put on more weight than their single peers.  Many people find themselves in this situation and aren’t sure where to start rectifying it. This is where a couples challenge could be key.

 “The right support structures need to be in place and most times that means everyone being on the same page or at least supportive of a partner’s journey. This is so important because it often does not matter what your eating or training plan is if you do not stick to it and see it through and sticking to a plan has much to do with a person’s environment and the tools they have to succeed,” says Elan.

However this doesn’t mean dragging your partner kicking and screaming to the gym against their will. If fact, Elan says he has often witnessed how just by seeing the transformation their partner has made by eating healthier and exercising the other one has been inspired to follow the same path.

Check out some of the transformations couples working together towards a healthier lifestyle have made on the SleekGeek website here.

“A major trap that people fall into is that if their partner is only too happy to sit on the couch all the time and consume junk food regularly then it makes it “OK” for the other to do the same. This is how couples use one another to justify letting things slip. This does not only apply to couples. It applies to families, circles of friends and even your workspace. Your environment often dictates how easy or hard it will be to succeed and meet your goals.”

The latest research findings that a third of the world's adults are physically inactive with the ‘couch potato lifestyle’ killing about five million people every year, according to this study. It goes so far as to say the lack of physical activity is actually a pandemic.

So if you love someone, don’t set them free, switch off the TV and go for a walk together. One step at a time is all it takes.

The latest challenge closes on Monday March 3 and you can view it here.

 

 
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