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 FITNESS FITNESS 

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HEALTHY LIVINGHEALTHY LIVING

Mountain View News Saturday, October 11, 2025

PARTNERS IN FITNESS

UNLOCK YOUR LIFE


How many times have you wanted to do something 
fitness-oriented with your significant other 
but then realize it just won’t work? Either you’ll 
be left running in the dust because you can’t keep 
up or they are so inflexible and stiff that doing any 
kind of stretching would be filled with whining 
and complaining. Is there anything you can do to 
make it work? Anything at all that could help both 
of you get started on a workout routine together 
so that you can share the experience and get fit together? 
The answer is “Yes!” Here are some ways:

1.Forget the competition

First things first, don’t make it a contest. The fastest 
way to ruin your workout plan is to turn it into
a “who’s better” situation. If you’re comparing who
runs farther, lifts more, or holds a plank longer,
it’s not going to end well. You’re not training for
the Olympics; you’re trying to spend quality time
together. The goal is getting in better shape, not
rivalry.

2.Pick neutral territory

Sometimes it’s not about who’s better—it’s about
what’s fair. If one person is a gym rat and the other
hasn’t seen a dumbbell in ten years, that gym isn’t
exactly “neutral ground.” Choose an activity that’s
new for both of you so you start on equal footing.
Try something like hiking, kayaking, pickleball,
or dance classes. You’ll both be beginners, which
means you’ll both have awkward moments. That’s
part of the fun. Learning together builds connection. 
And if one of you happens to be better at it,
you can still laugh, cheer each other on, and celebrate 
small victories together.

3.Set a shared goal

Think of something you can accomplish as a team. 
Maybe it’s finishing a 5K, taking a daily walk after 
dinner, or doing 20 minutes of strength training 
together three times a week. Having a shared 
goal makes it feel like a joint project instead of two 
separate workouts happening in the same room. It 
creates accountability and gives you both a reason 
to show up—even when you don’t feel like it.

4.Schedule it like a real date

It’s easy to say, “We’ll work out together sometime,” 
and then never actually do it. Life gets busy. Work,
chores, and Netflix all seem to get in the way. The
solution? Treat your workouts like actual appointments. 
Quality time together. Put them on your
calendar just as you would dinner plans. When
the time comes, don’t cancel on each other. This
is time for both your bodies and your relationship.

5.Play to each other’s strengths

Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses
when it comes to fitness. Maybe your partner has
great endurance but terrible balance. Maybe you’re 
flexible but lack upper-body strength. Instead of
getting annoyed by those differences, use them.
Take turns leading workouts based on what you’re
good at. If it’s always one person doing the “teach

ing,” that can actually be demotivating.

6.Keep it lighthearted

Remember that laughter burns calories too! Things 
will go wrong. Someone will trip, fall out of a yoga
pose, or forget their water bottle. Instead of getting 
frustrated, enjoy the moment. When you make
your workouts fun, you’ll actually look forward to
them. You can even gamify it. Create challenges
like who can do the most squats without making a
face. Make it about participation over perfection.

7.Respect recovery (and each other’s limits)

Not everyone recovers the same way after exercise. 
One of you might bounce back quickly, while the
other feels sore for days. That’s normal. Respect it.
Encourage rest, stretching, and self-care days.

If your partner says, “My legs are dead,” don’t drag
them out for a run. Instead, do something gentler 
together—like a walk, a swim, or some light
stretching. Showing understanding goes a long
way toward keeping motivation (and the relationship) 
healthy.

8.Celebrate your wins

Every small victory counts. Did you both show up
three times this week? Celebrate it. Did you finally
complete that 5K together? Go out for a healthy
brunch. Recognizing progress reinforces good
habits.

It also reminds you why you started to share something 
positive and strengthen your connection.

9.Remember why you’re doing this

At the end of the day, working out together is
about building a bond, supporting each other, and
taking care of your health - together. When you
both start viewing exercise as shared self-care instead 
of a competition, everything changes. You’ll
feel stronger, happier, and more connected not just 
physically, but emotionally.


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 

professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness 
classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.
com. Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.

LIVING DELIBERATELY:

Thoreau's Code For Life

In the spring of 
1845, a young Harvard 
graduate withdrew 
to the woods 
near Walden Pond 
with a simple purpose: 
to "live deliberately." 
Though 
Henry David Thoreau 
lived only 45 years, his wisdom still inspires, 
two hundred years later, he’s left us a roadmap 
for authentic living that’s relevant today.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live 
deliberately," he said, "to front only the essential 
facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it 
had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover 
that I had not lived."

This powerful declaration forms the foundation 
of what I call "Thoreau's Code" – a philosophy 
captured brilliantly in his assertion that "if one 
advances confidently in the direction of his 
dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he 
has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected 
in common hours." I feel this in my soul 
daily, like a low-grade fever.

Define Your Own Success

Thoreau's first step: decide what success means 
for you. Not society's definition, not your neighbor's, 
not even your past self's – but yours, today.

Ask yourself: What do I truly want? What do I 
aspire to? What would make me feel like I am 
living deliberately rather than merely existing?

Your answer might surprise you. Maybe it's living 
simpler. It might be bolder. Whatever it is, 
claim it as your own.

Daily Decisions Toward Your Vision

Once you've defined your vision of success, make 
daily decisions that move you in that direction. 
Thoreau didn't accidentally end up at Walden 
Pond—he consciously chose to go there, followed 
by countless small decisions that aligned 
with his philosophy.

Your daily choices build the architecture of your 
life. Each time you choose in alignment with 
your defined success, you advance confidently in 
the direction of your dreams.

Celebrate Daily

Here's where many of us mess up: we forget to 
celebrate the journey. Thoreau didn't wait until 
he finished his experiment to find joy – he found 
it in the daily rhythms of his deliberately lived 
life.

Begin each day in gratitude simply for life itself. 
Then, notice and celebrate those tiny decisions 
made throughout the day, no matter how small. 
Acknowledge tiny steps and tiny wins. The path 
to your imagined life isn't just about reaching a 
destination; it's about enjoying the process of living 
deliberately. Who are you becoming?

This Week's Practice

Make it personal.

Identify one tiny, achievable step you can take 
toward that vision. Then, take that step.

Each evening, record one decision you made that 
day that aligned with your definition of success.

Celebrate that decision, no matter how small it 
might seem.

Remember Thoreau's wisdom: The path to an 
extraordinary life begins with the decision to live 
deliberately, followed by confident action in that 
direction. Your journey starts now with these 
simple practices.

Next week, we'll explore the next segment of 
Thoreau's code: what it means to "endeavor to 
live the life which he has imagined" and how persistence 
transforms aspiration into reality. 

(Originally published April, 2025)

Lori A. Harris is an award-winning transformational 
coach for the extraordinary results her clients 
achieve. Learn more about her at loriaharris.
com.

Lori A. Harris

ALL THINGS by Jeff Brown

JANE GOODALL

Jane Goodall was a world-renowned 
primatologist, ethologist, 
and conservationist, best 
known for her groundbreaking 
research on wild chimpanzees in 
Tanzania. Born on April 3, 1934, 
in London, England, she developed 
a love for animals and nature 
at an early age. As a child, she 
was fascinated by books like Tarzan 
of the Apes, dreaming of one 
day living in Africa and working 
with animals.

In 1960, at the age of 26, Goodall 
traveled to Gombe Stream National 
Park in Tanzania. With no 
formal scientific training at the 
time, she began observing chimpanzees 
in the wild, supported by the famous anthropologist Louis Leakey. Her approach 
was revolutionary—she gave the chimpanzees names instead of numbers and recorded 
their behaviors in a compassionate, detailed manner. Her most important discovery was 
that chimpanzees make and use tools, a skill previously believed to be unique to humans. 
This finding challenged long-standing scientific beliefs and changed the way people 
viewed animals and their intelligence.

Goodall went on to earn a PhD in ethology from the University of Cambridge, one of the 
few people to do so without first having an undergraduate degree. Over the decades, she 
continued her work in Gombe, publishing numerous scientific papers and books, including 
In the Shadow of Man and Through a Window, which brought her research to a wider 
audience.

In the 1980s, Goodall shifted her focus toward conservation and education. Alarmed by 
the destruction of chimpanzee habitats and the plight of animals in captivity, she began 
traveling the world to speak out about environmental issues and the importance of protecting 
wildlife. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which supports research, 
conservation, and education programs. Later, she launched Roots & Shoots, a youth-led 
program that encourages young people to become active in environmental, humanitarian, 
and animal welfare causes.

Jane Goodall has received numerous honors for her work, including being named a UN 
Messenger of Peace and receiving the Templeton Prize. She continued to inspire people 
around the world with her message of hope, emphasizing that every individual can make 
a difference. Despite her age, she remained active in conservation, traveling extensively 
and advocating for the planet and its inhabitants. Her life’s work has not only transformed 
primatology but has also fostered a global movement for compassion and care toward all 
living beings. Jane Goodall 91 died on Oct.1, 2025. She will be missed.


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