16 SWEAT

I like to move it, move it. She likes to move it, move it. He likes to move it, move it. You like to—move it!)

—“I Like to Move It,” from Madagascar

IN 2011 THE BUREAU OF Labor Statistics found that the amount of time people (fifteen years of age and older) engaged in a sports or exercise activity on an average day in the United States was eighteen minutes. But the time people spent watching TV on an average day was almost ten times that amount![17]

While it’s certainly true that many Americans seem to have an aversion to physical activity and eschew it altogether, others carry exercise to the opposite extreme. A study in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, for example, found that while people who exercise regularly enjoy tremendous health benefits, those who train hard for triathlons, ultramarathons, and other extreme events run a much greater risk of suffering serious heart damage.[18]

There has to be a happy medium somewhere, right? It’s somewhere between having a heart attack because you’re a couch potato and having a heart attack because you’re an extreme-sports junkie. Why not consider making exercise a shared activity?

ACTIVITY: If you typically go to a gym to work out, take your spouse along this time. Teach your spouse your workout routine. If time and circumstances allow, do something more ambitious. Try something you haven’t done before, such as rock climbing or kayaking. If you’d like to engage in something more long term together, consider training for a half marathon or registering for a local charity run.

BONUS ACTIVITY: Many people use fast-paced music to exercise. When you have some free time, create a workout “playlist” together that includes some of your and your spouse’s favorite workout songs. Then make sure the playlist is available on both of your devices. This is a great way to be reminded of your spouse the next time you’re working out on your own.

QUESTIONS: After your activity (and perhaps a shower and a bottle of Gatorade!), discuss the following Questions: How important is physical fitness to you? How can we encourage each other (and our kids) in the pursuit of a balanced approach to physical fitness—not too lax and not too extreme? During our physical activity, what was one thing you learned about me that you didn’t know before?