Yesterday my wife told me she was going to do a yoga routine with the girls over at Tone It Up, Karena Dawn & Katrina Hodgson (a friend of ours made a great post on them here). I wasn't surprised, my wife has been exercising with them on and off for a couple of years now. As I sat in front of the computer I looked down at my own belly I realized that I should maybe start getting my own fitness back on track. I stood up from my creaking chair, looked her in the eyes and said: "I'll join you."

Boy, am I glad I did. We did a set called the Beautiful 15-Minute Power Yoga Flow with Emily! which was constructed by Emily DiDonato. In the video, she leads the participants through her routine with Katrina and Karena in the background assisting her. The routine is about 15 minutes long and is, as she states, perfect for limbering up before the day or cooling down the muscles after work in the afternoon or evening.

"Is that supposed to hurt?"

During the workout, I felt I was using muscles I haven't used in quite a while. I was stretching my body in directions that made my muscles feel great and afterward I felt even better. Several times throughout the routine I would feel very relaxed. I would feel my muscles tense up and then also release that tension in a very satisfactory manner. I could hear my back cracking during a specific move and instantly sighed of relief. after the workout, I would lay on my wife's old yoga mat, utterly relaxed.

As I lay there I decided from here on I would join my wife with her yoga sessions. Every second day I am going to grab her old yoga mat and join in on her routine. This morning I can feel some of those muscles are a bit stiff. I like the feeling. I can feel the lasting effects of taking care of my body, even if it just only the start and a somewhat minimal effort.

"I don't think I bend that way"

In the past, I have joined my wife at the local yoga studio for a couple of sessions and really enjoyed it. Every time they had the opportunity for members to bring a partner for free we would be there. The studio would be full of candles and cushions. We would have our sessions in the most relaxed atmosphere possible and it worked wonders for our psyche. As the prices went up, though, we just couldn't afford to continue a membership there and had to revoke it.

I have since forgotten the impact of yoga and what it can do not only to my body but also my mind. Getting my body in shape will not only be a reward I can give myself, but also a gift I can give to my wife as physical attraction is a reality in a marriage. I am going to try and keep doing yoga with my wife. It's an activity we can do together that can only strengthen our relationship and down the line might become a great factor in our marriage.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4

_{Animated Banner Created By @zord189}