6 ways to stay fit with your summer lover (part 1)

July 1, 2018 Ashley 0 Comments

Ah, summer love.

It’s wonderful. But does it need to mean the end of your slender summer bod?

You know the story. Girl meets boy. Girl gives up on fitness. The end.

(Epilogue: boy abandons girl after she abandons her fit and healthy self – who he fell in love with)

Okay, okay. A little deep and dark for a weight loss advice site.

But we all know it’s true. None of us want to relinquish our hopes and dreams in the name of someone else. Sure, we make sacrifices when it comes to love. But if bae fell for you, he’s not gonna wanna change you – or your healthy lifestyle choices. The simple fact is, most people subconsciously stay so active with random hobbies so they can network, be interesting, and ultimately find a mate. Otherwise, they wouldn’t quit doing cool shiz when they found a matching human outlet to plug into. They wouldn’t suddenly do nothing together every weekend except eat. Or drink. Or both. But you wanna know what? That gets old real quick. First comes boredom. Then comes restlessness. And that’s when you start to find things to pick at eachother about to cure your boredom-anxiety spiral. Boom. Now you’re both out’ve shape and bae’s driving home drunk ’cause he thought the remote in your hand was your cell phone and that you were sexting someone on the sly with the Roku clicker.

Don’t let that be you.

The good news, though? You can avoid all’ve that – by staying active together. See, not only does getting out and doing shiz with your sweetie keep you fit. It also keeps the relache fit and feeling new. In fact, a study done on attraction showed that partners were most into their S.O. when they witnessed them in their element and out of their usual context. It could be rock climbing, painting, or cage fighting. Whatever you do, seeing someone you dig in a different light can amplify attraction. What’s more, if it’s a fun, physical challenge you’re both undergoing, it can strengthen your bond via releasing the cuddle hormone called oxytocin.

Alright, fine. So, what should you do? I get it. Too much time revisiting Pixar movies you’ve seen twelve trillion time together has dulled your creative brain. Innovation’s taken a holiday. Countless options and you’re still out of ideas. No worries, my dopey pals. That’s what Aunt Ashley’s for. So, here goes a few fun activities you can do this summer with your love that don’t include bonding by binge eating or drinking your way to fatness.

1. Water sports

I know what you’re thinking. And, no, you don’t hafta go white water rafting to burn cals. Actually, a few summers ago, I tried the benign activity called stand up paddle boarding. It was fun, for sure, but you don’t spend a lot of time moving. Thus, I figured it wouldn’t amount to much fat burn. But, curious about the calorie count I might’ve knocked out anyway, I looked it up. To my surprise, holding those muscles tight for even half an hour (much less a full one or two) can truly torch that pizza’s greasy cheese strings you two sucked down, Lady and the Tramp style last night.

2. MMA

This one’s actually great for you couples who’ve got underlying aggression but would never dare cross the line physically. MMA classes offer a beautiful way to unleash your rage on bae, sans actually hurting her or him. Your partner holds these well stuffed pads up and you get to go to town on them with kicks and punches. Then, it’s their turn. By the end of class, no one leaves hurt, everyone feels better, and you’ve both burned off what you now see was a silly grievance in the first place – as well as up to 400 or more calories.

(“That’s for putting the free end of the toilet paper UNDER the roll, you psychopath!”)

3. Yoga

Or you could, ya know, rechannel that madness into tranquility. (I’m not judging, either way. Takes all kinds…) Sure, you could meditate together or hit the Buddhist temple down the street (where everyone looks at you funny because you can’t carry that damned mantra tune in a bucket with an iron locked lid), we’ll go with a more active option: yoga classes. There’re so many options these days that it’s tough to know which one to choose. But, if you’re going for something calming, try a vinyasa flow. If you’re going for an energizing experience, try a kundalini class. If you wanna leave feeling like you burned that cauldron of pistachio ice cream off, try power yoga. (And maybe some blinders for the frozen dessert aisle next grocery excursion.)

(Keep reading for three more tips on how to stay fit with bae this summer…)