tips • couple • fitness • fun • Newsletter • 3 min read • Feb 14, 2013 12:00:00 AM • Written by: Kat Smith
Over dinner and a movie? Jazz up your next date with our fun, fitness ideas.
The endorphins you get from exercising can increase happiness and help you clear your mind. If you still need convincing, consider this – research shows that simply doing new things together as a couple floods your brain with dopamine and norepinephrine (the same feel-good chemicals that give you that falling-in-love feeling).
So what are you waiting for? Grab your sweetie and boost your mood, and bond, with these tips!
Go Dancing
Tear up the dance floor – it is a great way to let loose and depending on what style of dance, you can burn 200 to 300 calories an hour. Hit the local dance club with your date, or grab that special someone for an impromptu dance party at home.
Rock Climb
Get your hearts racing by trying something new like rock climbing! The sport requires teamwork and trust, which are both crucial components of any successful relationship. Depending on how quickly you climb, you can easily burn 300 to 600 calories climbing indoors. Call up a rock-climbing gym and set up a time for you to come in with your date and learn the ropes – literally!
Hit the Lanes
Going bowling can be a healthy date – so long as you skip the beer and fried foods! Rent some shoes, pick your ball and challenge your partner to a game. One hour of bowling can have you burning 150 to 225 calories.
Be Paint-Ballers
Whether you go head-to-head, or team up with your darling to take down other players, there’s nothing wrong with a little healthy competition! Either way, you will be so hyped up on adrenaline you won’t even notice all the calories you burn running, jumping and dodging flying paint. Over the course of an hour you can easily burn 300 to 500 calories.
Walk the Dog
Take a long stroll with your date – and bring the pooch too! If you are both dog lovers, walking with a canine companion can be a great conversation starter. At a leisurely pace of 2.5 miles an hour, you can expect to burn about 200 calories – more if you stop to play fetch!
