Mid-February is usually when the best of intentions for New Year’s resolutions start to fade. Exercise and diet routines give in to boxes of chocolates and wine in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.
The best gift you can give to your significant other is the gift of couples-based wellness. Helping each other stay on track with goals through fun activities might be better than a box of chocolates this year.
The American Psychological Association has noted that studies show individuals who went through weight loss programs with a partner saw more permanent results than those who went through them alone. A support system can make holistic health and wellness not just good for you but good for your relationship.
It’s not all about weight loss. Wellness is a holistic approach to living that focuses on physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and relationship health. Consider these great ideas for ways to support wellness with those you love this Valentine’s Day.
• Take a healthy cooking class. One of the biggest challenges many couples face is how to cook foods that not only taste great but are healthful. Learning to cook healthy meals together can help you have fun and achieve better eating habits.
If a class isn’t your thing, consider a subscription to one of the delivery services that focuses on healthy eating. You might consider Home Chef, Sunbasket, Green Chef, Blue Apron, Gobble and Freshly to name just a few.
• Go to a painting class. Whether your community offers regular classes or you choose one of the many options for a special painting class in the area, consider tapping into your creative wellness together. Painting can help not only foster creative growth, but stimulate memory, challenge your problem solving and motor skills and provide stress relief.
• Fitness tracking. Whatever your exercise goals, tracking your progress has been proven to lead to greater success and help you feel stronger and healthier. Sharing your fitness achievements with someone you love is a great way to support each other.
Whether you are exercising on in-home fitness equipment, going to a fitness center or just tracking your walks on an Apple watch or Fitbit, use sharing platforms and send positive messages within your close circle to help boost your success.
• Couples massage. Massage is proven to promote not only relaxation but to ease sore muscles and pains. Doing this together brings you even closer together. Plan a day together in the beautiful Lowcountry to take a long walk or bike ride and then wrap up the day with a relaxing couples massage.
There’s no greater way to say I love you this Valentine’s Day than fostering healthy relationships by tackling health challenges together.
Jennifer Wolfe is the co-owner of Whisper Creek Day Spa in Bluffton, which she opened with her husband last year. jen.wolfe@whispercreekspa.com or whispercreekspa.com
