Celebrities Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres-Gomez grace the covers of Men’s Health and Women’s Health this month as the magazines’ first power couple. Not only do they make a gorgeous pair, but their determined and earnest personalities also make them forces to be reckoned with in their respective fields. At the joint press conference for Men's Health and Women's Health held at the Makati Shangri-la last January 7, the two stars gamely answered questions about their active lifestyle and how they are able to keep up with it.
As it turns out, while the two share a passion for fitness, their workout preferences couldn't be more different. While Lucy prefers dancing and yoga, Richard is into fencing and running, along with other sports. With such clashing athletic interests (and personalities to boot!), how do they cope as a couple?
Are you and your man trying to live a more active lifestyle this year? Having trouble following your exercise regimen because you don’t get support from your partner? Find out how Richard and Lucy do it with these 5 fitness tips from their experiences as a couple.
1. BE EACH OTHER'S MORAL SUPPORT.
Just because you have different interests, it doesn’t mean you can’t be supportive of each other. Even something as small as accompanying your significant other during his workout or him supporting your diet by not eating chocolate in front of you makes all the difference.
Take Lucy, who watches her husband while he participates in his activities. “I can’t do archery; I can’t do fencing; I don’t chase after a badminton ball,” she says, laughing. “So I do accompany him just to watch him, but to actually [do the sport with him], I haven’t yet. I think at most, it would be me walking in Ultra while he’s running. Walking and running together.”
For his part, Richard once went to Lucy's yoga class, “And I…fell asleep!” he relates. Make an effort to be supportive of your man's hobbies. Even if you can't see yourself participating in it, the boost he gets from you being there for him will count for just as much.
2. ALWAYS BE OPEN TO TRY SOMETHING NEW.
Of course, nothing says “I support you” better than actually joining your partner in some of his workout activities. New things can be intimidating because they’re unfamiliar, but once you face your fears, you might even find yourself learning to love them.
Dancing, for example, is one of Lucy’s favorite forms of exercise—and Richard’s biggest fear! Even so, he’s managed to dance on-air for Lucy a couple of times. “You have to dance well, but when the director says, ‘You’re on air now! Come on!’ Ganyan? Naku, I forget all the steps I rehearsed,” Richard shares. “It’s really my stage fright. I don’t know why.”
3. ENCOURAGE YOUR PARTNER TO STAY FIT.
Lucy recounts how meeting Richard has changed her views on health and fitness. “Between the two of us, he’s the more active (one). A week will never go by when he doesn’t do sports or do something that will allow him to sweat. For me naman, I can go for weeks without exercise until I met this guy,” she says, looking at Richard with a smile. “(He) really inspired me to take better care of myself. And actually, maybe two or three of the activities I’ve learned to love along the way, he accompanied me. The first time to boxing? Parang he just (broke) me into the sport gently.”
4. DO YOUR RESEARCH, AND STAY INFORMED.
Before you and your hubby embark on any fitness journeys together, make sure you know what you’re doing. “Knowledge really is power,” Lucy says. “You become healthier the more you know about the actual facts.” Lucy recalls her past struggles with diets. “Like when I was a teenager I went through that whole thing of not eating anything. Then you realize the more you read about health that it’s really just water weight.”
5. MAKE TIME FOR EXERCISE.
Fitness is all about commitment, so avoid making excuses and clear time in your busy schedule for a regular exercise routine. The great thing about practicing a healthy lifestyle as a couple is that you have someone to call you out when you’re not performing well. Lucy, in this case, gets fueled by her husband’s example. While her busy schedule has her hoping she can still go to her favorite classes this year, Richard has no problem. “No matter how busy he gets,” Lucy shares, “he’ll find time.”
Richard credits this to his love for an active lifestyle. “When I retired in 2007, I noticed that, because of lack of activity, I started gaining weight, and that’s the time I decided to do baseball and do other activities.... You know, it’s really (part of) my lifestyle. Since I was kid, I was out on the streets playing, in high school I was very active. Up to now, still the same. It’s just that I put in more age, but the activity is pretty much the same.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos from the press conference. Want to learn more about power couple Lucy and Richard? Grab a copy of the January-February 2011 issues of Men's Health and Women's Health at a bookstore or magazine stand near you!
For more on fighting toward fitness, check out the articles listed below:
- Running 101: 13 Tips for Newbie Runners
- How to Stop Making Excuses to Avoid Exercising
- 10 Tips for Making the Most of Your Gym Membership
- 10 Reasons to Take Up Yoga
- Barre3: Combining Ballet, Yoga, and Pilates for a Leaner, Longer Physique
