8 Sporty Things You Can Try With Bae Because Couples Who Workout Together Stay Together
Dates can double as workouts too y'know!
Published for MILO Malaysia, 26 Apr 2016, 06:02 PM
Let's be real, who has the time or energy to hit the gym when you've got to hold down a 9-5 job while still trying to maintain a social life
Forget living up to those "exercise more" or "be healthier" New Year's Resolutions. By the end of the day, all you want to is crawl into bed (or just KO on the floor/couch) and sleep forever.
Image via MRWGIFSAnd just when you think you can squeeze in a quick workout over the weekend, your significant other guilt trips you into trying out a new cafe instead
Career, love, health... they're ALL important to you and yet you're still forced to choose between them? No fair!
But what if we told you that it doesn't always have to be a 'would you rather' situation?
Instead, make your other half PART of the solution by taking them out on fun, sporty dates! Now you can’t say you’re too busy to exercise. ;)
It's a great way to spend quality time together while finally getting around to kickstarting a healthy and active lifestyle. Plus, not wanting to look weak in front of bae will give you extra motivation to keep going when you're on the verge of giving up :P
P.S. Make sure you're well nourished and energized before going on these dates so that you don't pass out halfway through. But at the same time, you'll want to avoid being overly full to prevent feeling sluggish. Having something wholesome like a cup of MILO would be just perfect. :)
Depending on what kind of health benefits you're looking to get, check out these sporty activities you can do as a couple:
1. Cycling
Whether you opt for a leisurely ride or an intense workout/race, the important thing is that you're doing it together and not just sitting around being couch potatoes.
Do this if you want to: Strengthen your thigh and abdomen muscles, improve your posture, increase cardiovascular fitness, and decrease body fat levels.
Where: Any park if you have your own bikes or Perdana Botanical Garden Kuala Lumpur where you can rent them for RM 3 per bike for 30 minutes.
2. CrossFit
In case you didn't already know, CrossFit consists of constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity. All CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements, and these movements reflect the best aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and more.
Read more about it here.
crossfit.com
Do this if you want to: See vast improvements in your stamina, strength, coordination, flexibility, agility, and balance.
Where: CrossFit Vidatha in Publika. Prices range from RM 175 to RM 350, depending on which package you opt for.
3. Run a marathon
Not only will running the actual marathon be a great date, you can also meet up as often as your mutually busy schedules will allow for some training sessions. :)
Do this if you want to: Get an efficient full-body workout. Running burns loads of calories and tones up your body as a whole. It also decreases the risk of diseases like diabetes and various heart conditions by improving organ health and functionality.
Where: Parks, stadiums and trails all make great running locations. You could keep it interesting by trying out a different spot each time.
Here's a list of upcoming marathons and races in Malaysia this year.
Or, if you think a marathon is a bit too extreme, start off easy with MILO's upcoming Breakfast Day Run 2016. :)
4. Swimming
Take Dory's advice and just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...
Do this if you want to: Build endurance and muscle strength, tone your muscles, and maintain a healthy weight, heart and lungs.
Where: If you're lucky enough to have a pool at home or live in a condo/apartment building that has a pool then you're sorted. Otherwise, you can find lists of public swimming pools in Malaysia here and here.
5. Dance
Sit down with your partner and write down the names of all the dance styles that you're interested in. Then drop them into a bottle and take turns picking one every month and try out your dance-of-the-month. After you've made it through the whole bottle, pick a favourite and stick with it or start the process all over again!
Do this if you want to: Improve muscle tone and strength, increase endurance, motor and aerobic fitness, improve cardiovascular and respiratory capabilities, and for overall weight management.
Where: You'll have to do a bit of Googling to find dance studios that are both in a convenient location for you and teach your chosen style of dance but go ahead and click here and here if you're a little lost on where to begin your search.
6. SkyTrex Adventure
If you ever dreamed of swinging through the jungle like Tarzan, this is totally for you! Skytrex Adventure provides the first of its kind in Malaysia, a tree to tree ‘sky-trekking’ experience where you can fly, swing, glide and dangle on the various aerial obstacles suspended above the lush tropical Malaysian Rainforest.
skytrex-adventure.com
Do this if you want to: Live life on the wild side while improving your general health and well-being.
Where: Skytrex Adventure Park in Shah Alam, Langkawi and Melaka.
7. Yoga
There's so much more to yoga than just sun salutations and downward dogs okay? Don't be intimidated by the what seems like crazy flexibility needed. Start off easy and work your way up; you'll be a pro in no time!
Do this if you want to: Maintain a balanced metabolism, increase flexibility, muscle strength and muscle tone, boost energy and vitality, and improve respiration, cardio and circulatory health.
Where: Check out this list for suggestions of different yoga studios/classes around Malaysia. Or, you could just look up tutorials on YouTube and follow along at home.
8. One-on-one contact sports
Contact sports are basically any sport in which physical contact (tackling, blocking, etc.) with other players is accepted as part of the gameplay such as football, basketball, hockey and martial arts. They're usually team sports but there's no reason why your date can't consist of a casual (or intense if you're both good at the sport :P) one-on-one game.
Do this if you want to: Improve your cardiovascular strength, decrease the risk of obesity, and increase your overall physical health, strength, endurance and hand-eye coordination.
Where: Your favourite padang is a great place to soak up some Vitamin D while playing or you could rent an appropriate court depending on what sport you're playing if you'd prefer some privacy.
See, you don't always have to sacrifice one thing to gain another. Sometimes, you really can have it all!
To complement your new active and healthy lifestyle, make sure you’re getting the best nutrition by having a good and wholesome breakfast
There's a reason it's called the most important meal of the day right? Having a nourishing start to the day with MILO will ensure that you have enough energy and nutrients to get you through all those active workout dates.
You could even grab a MILO 3-in-1 right before the date to give yourself an extra boost! Make sure to bring along an extra one for your significant other as well. ;)