Why, according to science, you SHOULD NOT exercise with your partner

Health
By Liam

Why, according to science, you SHOULD NOT exercise with your partner

By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor of The Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

If you plan to go running, it may be a good idea to leave your partner at home.

That’s because new research shows – at least for older adults – that exercising with your partner results in lower physical activity levels than exercising alone.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore studied 240 participants between the ages of 54 and 72.

They wore fitness trackers that recorded information such as number of steps taken, heart rate, distance traveled, calories burned, minutes of activity and sleep data.

The recruited participants were all married and living with their spouses, and were divided into different groups: those who were told to exercise as a couple and those who were told to exercise alone.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore studied 240 participants between the ages of 54 and 72. They wore fitness trackers that recorded information such as number of steps taken, heart rate, distance traveled, calories burned, minutes of activity and sleep data.

Analysis showed that those who trained as a couple had a lower average step count over 12 weeks than those who participated individually.

On average, participants who exercised with their partner took 10,441 steps per day, compared to 11,372 steps per day for people who exercised individually.

The researchers believe that higher levels of physical activity require greater changes in couples’ lifestyles, making this more difficult to achieve.

Dr. Sapphire Lin, who led the study, said: ‘The average participant in our study is 60 years old and has been married and living with the same spouse for 30 years.

‘This suggests that the study participants have established routines that do not necessarily involve exercising with their partner.

‘For these couples, changing daily habits can require a major realignment of established habits and routines that have become ingrained in their family life after years of marriage. This makes incorporating exercise difficult and can lead to a demotivating effect.

‘Our research suggests that older adults who want to introduce exercise into their lifestyle may find it more effective to focus on changing their own routines rather than trying to exercise as a couple and imposing changes on their partner.’

The findings also showed that couples who trained together spent more time per day sitting and were less likely to reach daily steps of 7,500, 10,000 and 15,000 than couples who trained individually.

The study was published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.

HOW MUCH PRACTICE YOU NEED

To stay healthy, adults between the ages of 19 and 64 should try to be active every day and do the following:

  • at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or brisk walking, every week and
  • strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that train all major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)

Or:

  • 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week, such as running or a game of tennis for singles
  • strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that train all major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)

Or:

  • a mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity per week – for example 2 x 30 minutes of running plus 30 minutes of brisk walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and
  • strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that train all major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)

A good rule is that 1 minute of vigorous activity provides the same health benefits as 2 minutes of moderate activity.

One way to meet the recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is to do 30 minutes five days a week.

All adults should also break up long periods of sitting with light activity.

Source: NHS in the United Kingdom

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