Motivating your husband to exercise can be delicate business. Comments on his decreasing strength or expanding waistline can just bruise his ego, rather than boosting his determination. However, exercise offers so many rewards that you're sure to find one or two activities that excite him. You know him better than anyone, so use your insight into his character to zero in on the things he wants that exercise can give him.
Health
If your husband bristles at the mention of those extra 15 pounds, try using his health as an incentive. Regular aerobic exercise will reduce his chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and some cancers, and strength training will reduce his joint pain, improve his bone density and help him stay strong and independent as he ages. If he works out several times a week, your husband can avoid falling prey to the same conditions that afflict his family members, set a good example for your children and walk into his next physical with his head held high.
Aesthetics
If your husband is too macho to worry about his health, he might respond better to the thought of staying slim and buff. Cardio exercise burns calories to keep him slender, and strength training builds muscle and boosts metabolism. If you can't find a tactful way to suggest that his physique could benefit from working out, try tapping into his drive for competition by getting into shape yourself. When he sees how sleek you look -- and how good exercise makes you feel -- it might push him to equal you.
Mood
If your husband hears comments about his body as attacks, he might respond better to suggestions for his quality of life. Exercise can be relaxing, uplifting or vigorously exciting. It improves depression, boosts mental function and strengthens memory. It can fill him with energy for his day and help him sleep at night. Get your husband to start exercising by promising him better days and more joie de vivre, and he'll soon discover that working out is its own reward.
Fun
If your husband bristles at any attempt to tell him what to do, stop pushing him to make deliberate lifestyle changes and start suggesting fun ways to spend time together. Instead of watching a movie on a Sunday afternoon, play a game at the park. Get a dog and walk her together every morning. Take a social dance class together or plant and maintain a vegetable garden. Working out doesn't have to mean gyms and running shoes -- any activity that gets your husband moving will improve his health and fitness. If he's having fun, he won't even think of it as exercise.
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