Sport England

The Nation's Biggest Supporter

Be an Everyday Sport Couple

Be an Everyday Sport Couple This Valentine's

When it comes to working up a sweat (outside of the bedroom), two can be better than one! Especially when there are hundreds of activities in your area to choose from, ranging from Ceroc Dancing to playing Tennis, all accessible with the click of a mousepad.

Sport England has been set a target by Government of increasing participation in sport and physical activity by 3% in the next three years. Everyday Sport is the first major initiative in this long-term plan.

The Everyday Sport campaign is all about small steps making a big difference. Everyday Sport can mean different things to different people, from taking the stairs instead of the lift or getting off the bus a stop early to joining a sports club or registering for an exercise class.

A lot of couples share a passion for physical activity. The trouble is, they don’t share the same skills and strengths.

To find common ground, sit down together and list every activity you'd be excited to pursue. You may discover that you were both volleyball players in college and would love to take it up again or that you've both been curious about kickboxing. It's also fair to alternate who gets to choose the activity on a given weekend. Another option is to schedule your preferred workouts at the same time and then meet up afterward. That way, you can still connect over exercise, even if you're not actually sweating side by side.

If you and your mate are both trying to lose weight, it may be smart to take slightly different approaches to exercise — say, you do 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weights and he does the reverse, 20 minutes of cardio and 40 minutes of weights. Mesh your routines by joining a gym. You can go together, exercise alongside one another for part of the time, then do your own thing.

Matthew Delaney, Regional Director of Sport England London said "You're much more likely to stick with exercise if you have a partner to do it with, And working out as a couple can also give you some quality time together to catch up on each other's days and have good discussions”

He said "One of the benefits of exercise is that it's a stress reliever, Since physical activity often has the effect of calming you down and clearing your head, it's likely that by the workout's end, the stress of the day will have dissipated and you'll both feel much better — about yourselves and each other."

It's great to be open to new sports, but if you get into mountain biking just because your other half is doing it, rather than because you're honestly enthused about it, you're going to end up feeling resentful or quitting.

One potential pitfall for couples to be aware of is jealousy, mostly because when it comes to workout results, men tend to see them faster. It's a lot harder for women to gain muscle and lose fat.

International studies demonstrate that long terms campaigns hold the key to increasing participation in physical activity and sport. In countries such as Finland, Canada and Germany, the combination of high quality facilities, significant investment in clubs, coaches and volunteers, underpinned by campaigning and performance measurement, has increased participation.

Everyday Sport already has the support of more than 60 famous faces from the worlds of politics, celebrity and sport, including Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, Sports Minister Richard Caborn, Sebastian Coe, Rio Ferdinand, James Cracknell, Jonny Wilkinson, Steve Cram, sports commentating legend Barry Davies, Jonathan Edwards, Nell McAndrew, Donna Air and Jayne Middlemiss.

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London 2012, said: “Winning the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London is the most fantastic opportunity that any generation in this county has ever been granted. It will kick-start a huge amount of interest and opportunities for everyone, particularly young people, to take up sport and physical activity. A new generation of young athletes will be inspired to become the champions of tomorrow. We want this country to be one of the most enthusiastic and active in the world about sport when we host the London Games in 2012. A campaign like Everyday Sport will be a major catalyst for making this happen."

To find out where you can take up a new sport or activity in your area or for more information about the campaign, log on to www.everydaysport.com or call the Everyday Sport hotline: 0800 587 6000.

IN YOUR REGION

Graphic Version | How to use this site | Site map | A-Z Index | Contact Us

FEEDBACK | PRIVACY/DISCLAIMER