Exercising with your spouse.

LilithLaquim

We're buddies only in the sense that we've gone to yoga and to the gym together. That's where things stop though. We don't workout together-together for several reasons.

1) I have my routine, he has his. We're very rarely both doing cardio or both lifting at the same time.

2) We like having time for ourselves. I know he's at the gym. He knows I'm there. But we're usually on opposite sides, doing our own things. I also hate having someone other than a trainer standing there... looming... waiting... watching me work out. It's kinda weird.

3) We're at different levels. One of us has an injury here. The other has an injury there. That affects which exercises we do or don't do.

4) Headphones, headphones, headphones.

^This. My partner and I go to the gym at the same time, and if we're both doing cardio we pick machines next to each other, but the one time we tried to actually work out *together* we both ended up cranky and unsatisfied.

moya_rargh

Headphones on. World off. I can only train alone.

knittnponder

I think it depends on a few things. How well do you get along? Are you working on the same things? My husband and I do weights together but any cardio I want, I do on my own. He likes the treadmill, I want to throw myself off the cardio deck even during the 10 minute warm up we do together.

Even during weights we have the freedom to do our own thing. We do squats and deadlifts together then separate for our other lifts since we're usually working on different things. If one of us need a spotter we're available though. I do have to be careful if I'm correcting him on something because that can get a little dicey. I can be bossy and come across in a way that gets him defensive and sometimes he can be a little touchy so I often encourage him to hire a trainer for specific instruction just to keep the peace.

If your relationship can take it and your workout goals are similar then you can do it but give each other freedom to do your own thing too. I like working out with him, he encourages and motivates me! But I also like doing my own thing and not having to worry about what he's doing so I think we've found a nice balance. Just be sure to communicate with each other (nicely!) if things aren't working out the way you'd like them to. I usually go one day a week and do weights all by myself just so I feel like I can fully pursue my goals without holding him up or vice versa.

Kekibird

We do on occasion. Even if we don't lift together we go to the gym together and will talk or check in with each other in between sets. Sometimes just a smile or a thumbs up gives a nice boost. We call them Gym Dates.

But I run mostly and he's mostly lifting so Gym Dates aren't the usual. He'll run a race with me here or there. The majority of our workouts, though, are just for ourselves because it's our "me time".

The_Sandra

Eh, sometimes. Our styles are pretty different - I'm a type A, gotta-have-a-plan-and-stick-to-it, girl, and he just likes to step into the weight room and do whatever sounds fun that day (bench presses and biceps curls mostly). Also, our schedules are different, so I hit the gym in the morning and run after work. He leaves for work early and by the time he gets home doesn't feel like running most of the time. We probably go to the gym together once a month or so, and run together once every other week. I could probably get him to run with me more often, but honestly - I like the time to just zone out by myself. Also, his pace is slower than mine

bandxgeek13

He's not my spouse, but I love working out with my boyfriend. He helps keep me motivated and makes me want to keep going and keep pushing harder. Sometimes we go to the gym and do our own things or sometimes we go and alternate on machines. It gives us time to talk and catch up and it gives you someone to watch you who can correct your form if you're doing something incorrectly. If I say I can't do something, he tells me I can - and I do!

I love it and I think it's an awesome motivator to have someone there with me - even if we aren't doing the same thing. I know he's there so it makes me want to work harder to prove to him and to myself that I can.

NextPage

We both prefer working out in the morning and given that the alarm is going off at 5:30 am it is a good thing we both go! Also, on the mornings when he doesn't want to get out of bed I encourage him to get up and vice versa. We have been living together for over a year now and I think we have only had one morning when this didn't work. He likes to run (I don't) and I love pilates so we also go off and do our own thing sometimes.

Unfortunately for me I'm not 6ft 2 with a great metabolism so I can't join him as he scoffs down tons of pasta while staying slim.

GiddyupTim

I think it would be interesting if we could get equal numbers of responses from the male partners and the female partners, because I suspect the men would be much more likely to say they enjoyed exercising with their partner, than vice-versa.
Seems like more of a male-type, companionship activity, and that the male would be more likely to have a size-strength advantage so it would be less fraught for him.
I love running with my wife. In fact, it is one of the reasons we got together initially. We ran together. But now if we run together it is because I chose to glom onto the back of her running troop. She would much rather run with them, given a choice, I believe.