Improve your health—and your relationship—by working out with your loved one.

BY ALI HOLMAN

“Couples who work out together, stay together.” This old saying persists because there’s a lot of truth to it. Before we had kids, my husband and I could find a lot of quality time together. Quiet dinners, vacations, uninterrupted conversations….oh, those were the days! Fast forward to two kids and four dogs later, our house looks like a circus. Finding time together as a couple usually includes trying to stay awake long enough to watch one hour of our favorite TV show.

We are both personal trainers, run the 20-minute daily online workout training business (CoreCamper.com). My career as a fitness expert for various media outlets has made exercise business as well as pleasure. My husband I decided that since it’s important that we connect, why not do so by exercising together?

Studies show that couples who work out together share a positive, common goal and share a psychological and physical connection. We also know that couples who work out together begin to share a common respect for one another, and experiencing success as a unit can strengthen your bond and relationship. With time so limited for many of us, exercise can be one of the things we sacrifice so we have time for relationships. But working out with your partner can eliminate this problem!

Finally, if you have kids, there is no better example that you could set for them. Mom and Dad putting a high value on their health and wellness will lead to kids who do the same as they get older.

These couples exercises require no equipment except you and your partner, making them easy to do anytime and anywhere. This entire workout is just 20 minutes. Hopefully that’s not enough time for the kids to trash the house!

THE WORKOUT:

Directions: Perform the following exercises with your partner. Go through this sequence four times as a circuit, switching roles as required. Perform each move for 45 seconds, and then rest for 15 before the next move. This will total 20 minutes.

WIDE PLANK/HIGH KNEES
Partner 1: Get in elbow plank position with feet wide, body parallel with ground.
Partner 2: Perform lateral high knees across your partner’s legs, pulling knees up and focusing on form and maximum speed, crossing back and forth across your partner. This isn’t just an exercise, but an act of trust.

PARTNER ONE-ARM SQUAT & JUMP
Partners face each other, holding right hands and “sitting” back into a squat, supporting one another. Jump up, let go of each others’ hands and then switch hands as you come down, sitting back into the squat.

STRAIGHT PLANK TO PUSHUP
Partner 1: Get in a straight plank position.
Partner 2: Jump over your partner’s ankles and the quickly get in straight plank and do a pushup.
Partner 1: After partner 2 performs a pushup, get up and jump over your partner and do a pushup.
Repeat as you travel forward.

CRAB DIP
Partner 1: Get in “crab position”
Partner 2: Stand in front of your partner’s knees, facing away from partner. Put hands on partner’s knees, keep feet flat and begin performing triceps dips.

PUSHUP-TO-HIGH FIVE
Both Partners face each other in a pushup position (on knees if necessary).Perform a pushup at the same time, giving each other a high five (right hand to right hand, left hand to left hand) as you come up. Performing the high five as you come up requires you do more of a one-and-a-half-armed pushup, challenging your core even more than a traditional pushup.

ALI’S TIP: Use a free app like the one found at gymboss.com to stay on track with the 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off rhythm of the workout.

Ali Holman is a national on-air fitness expert for CBS, AOL, MSN, Yahoo! and more.
To find out more about Ali & Mark Holman’s 20 Minute Daily Online Workouts, meal plans, and more, visit
CoreCamper.com. Daily workouts include three variable difficulties.

You can follow Ali on Instagram, Twitter, and on Snapchat (@corecamper) and on Facebook.