Want your man to join you on your fit journey?
If you're nodding your head yes, I feel for you. Men can be so stubborn especially if you've got a head start on a game they don't necessarily want to play. Trainer and fitness model Noelle McKenzie from fitnessawayoflife.com has excellent tips to share to get your man ready for a fit New Year in 2013. She should know, as she shares a fitness business with her man who is in killer shape. My man also happens to be very fit...but he kind of went on a fitness hiatus. See what it took to get him back on track. It's no easy task. But as you know, men always need a little push!
Fit Pro Noelle McKenzie can help!
She is 1/2 of the training/modeling/blogging duo called Fitness A Way Of Life. She recently wrote the following article: 5 Ways To Butter Up Your Spouse To Healthy. But girlfriend doesn't stop there, she's sharing 5 more approaches with MizzFIT readers. Because to get the job done, you must have lots of tricks up your sleeve. Noelle's are pretty harmless while mine are admittedly "tricky-er". Find what works for you (on him). Being healthy is a lot more fun with company!
(That's Noelle lookin' all sexy above)
5 ways to get your man healthy for 2013 from Noelle McKenzie:
(1) Sign up together for a fitness class or competition together - Try out a new sport that you can enjoy together such as squash, tai chi, self-defense, or indoor rock climbing. If you always wanted to do a triathlon or half-marathon convince your spouse to train with you! When you have a purpose it's much easier to stick with a new training program. A gym membership is a good place to start too, but classes can become crowded and fill up fast and working out on your own requires more motivation. A non-traditional sport or hobby can be entertaining because you learn something new and a lot of times you acquire a new skill set you didn't have before.
(2) Enjoy more natural sweets - If your spouse has a sweet tooth you don't have to completely deprive it just make some adjustments to the kinds of sweets you have in your household. Try baking more and clearing out the pop tarts, Debbie cakes, muffins and candy from your pantry. Instead of white sugar cook with brown sugar, pure maple syrup and fruits such as dates. As long as your lover has something sweet after dinner to eat you won't be hearing much complaining. A lot of times when you bake the quantity will also last longer than what you buy in-store.
(3) Take cooking lessons - What happens when both you and your significant other aren't very good chefs? You usually end up relying on take-out, frozen meals and dining out more often than not. A good way to get in the habit of preparing your own meals in a way that is time efficient and tasteful is to get a lesson or two from the pros. A cooking class is an enjoyable experience for couples and it's an easy way to learn kitchen essentials.
(4) Brush your teeth after every meal - This one may sound silly, but when your teeth are clean you are less likely to snack afterwards especially before bed.
(5) Offer up compliments - This is easy to do, but too often overlooked. Positive affirmation by acknowledging the progress your spouse is making is enough to keep them motivated. Everybody likes to be made to feel attractive especially from their loved ones. You can say a simple statement like, "Hey dear you look great these days. I can tell you're really working hard to get in better shape and it shows." It's short and sweet, but will make your partner feel like a million bucks. Sometimes all we need is a little reminder that what we're doing is paying off.
(Noelle & her biz/life-partner Kern pictured above)
While Noelle Plays Nice, I Play Dirty (MizzFIT's Tips):
Some men are more challenging than others. I definitely use Noelle's tips with my guy but sometimes I have to put a little twist on things to keep the ball rolling in a healthy direction. For instance, yesterday morning I was able to convince my guy to do this yoga dvd with me. I rolled out mats...had towels and water bottles set up. He was actually gonna do it with me! But then, to our workout demise, the dvd begins with the instructor announcing: "Let's begin our practice today by moving our bodies like a dancing seaweed." Next thing I hear is "I'm out!" and he was off the mat before I could finish laughing. I couldn't blame him. Dancing seaweed? Seriously?
So here's what I did instead:
- I asked him what he preferred to do and then I made it harder. Since we are on vacation in Mexico, he wanted to go down to the pool and swim. I challenged him to do 10 laps across the lengthy pool. I even did it with him. FYI, Men like challenges that tire their girlfriends out and make them feel like a stud. The next day he bought fins and goggles and then proceeded to do 20 laps!!!
- I implied that sex could/might be a reward. This always works...just be sure to honor it or this method will not work the 2nd, 3rd, 4th time and so on.
- I told him that I missed the way his former hard body felt (in the nude). Be kind when you say this because it might sting for a second until your guy realizes this is an opportunity for more sex.
- I told my man that I wanted to be fitter and healthier too. And that I'd like to do it together. This takes the pressure off of him feeling like he's the one being scrutinized. I may have cried a little about falling off the wagon and wanting to get back on. Men respond to tears.
- I challenged him to an ab contest fully knowing that he'll win. The truth is that I'm not even competing but the idea that he might beat me at something really excites him. And to be honest, he has more willpower when it comes to eating clean and controlled. Who doesn't like winning? If it motivates him to stay on track and see results, I'm happy to be crowned a loser.
From Noelle's tips to my FIT-manipulation, the idea we're pushing is for you to speak up and help find effective ways for your partner to enjoy a healthy/fit lifestyle.
One last FIT-manipulation tip!
Regarding my "sex as reward" tip, remember to make it clear that sex doesn't count as the workout. But once the deed has been done, congratulate him on 2 AMAZING workouts! The praising part is key.
Now it's your turn to comment on this topic
What has or hasn't worked for you in your quest to get your lover or spouse to workout with you? Have you ever resorted to FIT-manipulation like I have? Tell me in the comments section below, please!
Noelle McKenzie contributed as a guest writer on this article. She is the co-founder of Fitness A Way Of Life (an independent in-home personal training business based out of NYC). Noelle is an ACE certified personal trainer, a healthy living blogger and model.