Romantic Workout
5 Ways to Sweat with Your
Sweetie
By Denis Faye
From the Team Beachbody Club - Join Today and Workout to
Win!
What are you doing for your
sweetheart on Valentine's Day? Dinner and a movie? A box of chocolates? Who are
you? Forrest Gump? Come on! You're working towards a firm, hard body! Who wants
to sit around and eat junk? You can do better than that! But how do you do that
and keep the romance dialed up to 11 at the same time? Here are a few
ideas:
 Cross-country skiing. While hitting the
slopes might dial up the adrenaline, going cross-country is a much better way
to spend a quiet, romantic few hours alone with your beloved, checking out the
winter wonderland. Plus, it's a much better prolonged cardio workout, therefore
burning more calories than downhill skiing. Score extra points with your date
by packing a thermos full of hot cider.
Three hours of cross-country
skiing = approx. 2,700 calories.
 Ice
skating. Pretty much every romantic movie ever made has an
obligatory lovey-dovey-on-the-ice-rink scene. If it's good enough for
Hollywood, it's good enough for us! If you're seeking a slightly more credible
source, look to Ice Skating—Steps to Success by Karin
Künzle-Watson and Dr. Stephen J. DeArmond, which explains that the sport
manages to be both low-impact and high-energy while improving strength and
coordination—provided you don't fall down too much. If there are no frozen
lake beds or indoor rinks in your area, roller skating works in a pinch.
One hour of ice skating, moderate speed = approx. 400
calories
 Cold
weather camping. Yeah, yeah, it doesn't seem mushy from
the sound of it, but you'll spend your days hiking or backpacking, your
evenings huddled by the fire, and your nights? Well, once you tuck into your
sleeping bag, you might want to feign a little hypothermia because, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the best ways to
fight the condition is to "use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of
blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets." Sounds good to us!
Two hours
of backpacking = approx. 1,100 calories
One hour of "fighting hypothermia"
= approx. 190 calories
 Rock
climbing. Again, how is this romantic? While you scale the
wall, your lover holds your safety line. He or she is the only thing between
"climbing" you and "pile-of-broken-bones-on-the-floor" you. Scary? Yes, but
that´s a good thing. According to Purdue University communications
professor Glenn Sparks, fear's physiological stimulation can intensify any
positive emotions following the experience—making the moment you share
once you're down from the wall all the more special.
Two hours of rock
climbing, including belaying = approx. 800 calories
 Urban
sightseeing. So your hometown isn't exactly the City of
Lights, but surely you can fashion some sort of romantic stroll on the local
streets. If you find some sort of map and guide, great. If you can't, all the
better. You'll be getting some low-impact aerobic benefit, sure. But you'll
also be alone with your date in a situation that doesn't require shoving food
in your mouth or watching a screen or focusing on your workout. In other words,
the two of you will have plenty of time to talk, which works wonders on any
relationship, new or old.
Three hours walking at 3 mph = approx. 1,000
calories
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