It’s date night, and it’s your turn to plan it. Instead of going for the same old dinner and a movie, you can spark your relationship through dates that not only support a healthy lifestyle, but also offer quality time together.
Here are 14 date ideas to help you and your partner stay active and uplift each other.
1. Take Dance Lessons
It may take time to learn new moves and to shake your hips the right way to be in unison with your partner, but it’s worth it! Enjoy getting your heart rate up as you listen to lively music. It may even be fun to dress the part while learning the salsa or cha-cha. Then, when you go to a friend’s wedding, you both can show off your new moves.
2. Go to a Rock-Climbing Gym
This activity may seem daunting, but indoor climbing gyms are safe and usually offer affordable introductory lessons. The payoff comes when you both increase your skills and build up your technique (it’s all about the legs). Having your partner belay for you is a great way to reinforce the trust and unity that is the foundation up your relationship.
3. See a Personal Trainer Together
Seeing a personal trainer together is a great way to support one another, and probably laugh at least a little. Once your session finishes, you can incorporate the designed workout into your regular gym routine so gym time is together time.
4. Ride a Tandem Bike Together
Riding a tandem bike looks ridiculous, but you should try it! Riding requires both partners to pedal in unison, which if trying for the first time can be challenging. Laugh at your mistakes and celebrate that you can work together, in unison.
5. Go on a Color Run
Put on your white shirts, don’t forget your sunglasses, and go on the happiest 5k of your life. These events are typically untimed events, so you and your date can have fun exercising together, taking selfies, and laughing as you try to get clean.
6. Compete in a Mud Run
If you want a little more competition and team work on your active date (and if you don’t mind getting dirty) mud runs are for you. Help each other climb obstacles and trudge through the mud. Then, have fun spraying each other down with the provided hoses.
7. Take a Kickboxing Class
Stay active, get your heart rate up, and kick butt with your date! Be sure to add that extra “hiyah” to get your partner to laugh. It’s good technique, we promise. This is also another class where you’ll both learn skills that you can incorporate into your fitness routine. And, if iit sparks your interest, you can sign up for more classes or join a kickboxing gym.
8. Take a Weekend Trip Focused on Activity
If you and your partner love to run, hike, or cycle together, consider taking a special trip that focuses on doing that thing you love, but in a new environment. This can be an especially good idea for winter if you can go somewhere warmer.
9. Go Canoeing
A lot of active dates require lower body workouts, but canoeing is a great way to work the upper body. See how fast you and your date can go while paddling in unison. For added fun, plan to swim or picnic along the way.
10. Take a Hike
The greatest thing about hiking is that it’s available to us in every season as long as we dress appropriately. Visit nearby trails you can access right from the edge of your city, or venture further afield and conquer a local peak. If you have fun, you can parlay this into a series of hikes and bag every local hike.
11. Go Sledding at a Local Hill
If there is still snow, or when there’s snow, pack up your $25 two-person sled and head to the nearest hill. Enjoy the snuggling as your adrenaline kicks in and make a game out of getting to the top to start over.
12. Circle the Roller Rink
Roller rinks are coming back! It’s time to lace up those roller skates and enjoy laughing as you both try to remember how to do it. Be sure to go when they turn down the lights and turn up the disco music and lasers.
13. Enjoy a Post-Activity Massage
After you’ve accomplished an activity together, a great way to cool down is to get a couple’s massage. They help you both relax and clear your mind, which can help improve your relationship.
14. Take a Cooking Class Together
All that activity is sure to make you hungry. Widen your palate by exploring new cuisines. Cooking activities lets couples work together toward a common goal and learn new skills to use at home. It’s a fun way to kick off any new dietary goals, like eating more plants or eating out less. And the best part, you can take what you’ve learned and make it into another fun date when you shop for the ingredients, and make that same wholesome meal at home.
Life gets busy, but our relationships with our partners fill us with light. Spending quality time through active dates is a fun way to keep that light burning bright.