Seven Ways to Be Healthy with Your Honey

I’ll admit that there was a time in my life when Valentine’s Day was everything to me. I longed for the moment I was in a relationship special enough to celebrate a day reserved only for lovers. Now that I’m in a relationship special enough to celebrate Valentine’s Day, is it ironic that we don’t celebrate it at all? Don’t get me wrong, I love Valentine’s Day in that it’s a celebration of love, but the idea that you have to shower your loved one with gifts and affection on one day isn’t my idea of romance. 

As cliche as it sounds, my relationship feels like Valentine’s Day (almost) everyday and while I appreciate that not everyone is in a relationship that feels that way – or one at all for that matter – if you can find a similar romantic love with yourself or in your friendships then you’re just as worthy as celebrating Valentine’s Day as couples do. 

For those in a relationship, there’s one complaint I often hear and that’s the struggle to adopt healthy habits when one partner is less invested in doing so than the other. I get how difficult this can be, I’ve experienced it myself and to a large extend I’ve overcome it. So, in honor of this sweet holiday, here are seven ways to be healthy with your honey. 

One // Cook at home together. Make meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking at home a ritual. Decide on how many days you can both realistically commit – for us it’s five – and stick to it. When I first met my husband and we moved in together, it took us some time to find our groove with this, but now that we have, we both feel great when we’re eating at home instead of dining out. 

Two // Sign up for a race or physical challenge. Exercise stimulates your endorphins which produces that feel-good feeling much like being in love so why not take advantage and sign up for a race or physical challenge. Our workouts are pretty separate day-t0-day but one thing we love doing together is signing up for races with our local running club. We pick a few weekends in advance and sign up. When race-day comes, we motivate each other and celebrate with brunch after. We’ve even done something totally out of both of our comfort zones and did a Spartan Race together. 

Three // Just getaway. Everyone needs a mental break from time to time, but if you don’t have the time, vacation days or funds to indulge in a longer vacation, consider a healthy staycation at a spa or a day trip to a local hiking trail. 

Four // Take an after-dinner stroll. It can be easy to settle in on the sofa for TV after dinner, but make it a habit to take an after-dinner stroll – even 10 minutes can help you get a little more movement into the day. 

Five // Plan an active day date. Dinner and drinks is the default date night, but try switching it up every once in awhile and plan an active daytime date. Try bowling, ice skating, kayaking or stand up paddle board, biking, mini golf, the zoo, indoor rock climbing, a healthy cooking class or volunteering. 

Six // Challenge each other. J. Lo and A-Rod took on a 10-day no sugar challenge. I challenged my husband to a plank after every workout. Most men love a challenge and it’s incredibly motivating to take on something difficuly with a buddy. You can support each other and you’ll also reap the benefits together too. 

Seven // Be an example: Healthy choices beget healthy choices. Stick to what’s important to you and I promise that soon he’ll want to eat the foods that are making you vibrant, energetic and beautiful from the inside out.