Calling all lovebirds and sweethearts out there — your holiday has come! Time to get ready for all the usual Valentine’s Day activities: swing by the flower stand, pick up some champagne, buy two pounds of chocolate, and make reservations at the super swanky, super heavy restaurant for their prix-fixe, overpriced, and over-buttered dinner special. 

But for those who are trying to be a bit more health conscious, Valentine’s Day can be kind of an annoying little trap — you’ve just come off of the sweet-laden holidays, you’ve just returned to your fitness routine, maybe some pounds are coming off, maybe some muscle growth is happening, and BOOM – you’re knocked off of the healthy path once again…by a chubby little cherub with a bow and arrow. 

Well not today, Cupid! Because we’ve come up with some heart-healthy Valentine’s Day tips to help you stay committed to your fit and nutritious lifestyle, whilst still being romantic with your special someone. 

Research Before You Rezzy

For starters, let’s kick things off with one of the biggest culprits of diet-destruction: the fancy schmancy restaurant. But let’s be real for a second: we’re not advocates of staying home and eating raw asparagus to maintain your caloric intake — not at all — because food is one of life’s great joys, and a well-lit, twinkly atmosphere’d restaurant is a great way to rekindle your attraction and lose yourself in conversation with your person. So we’re saying YES, do go out and have yourself a ball at an amazing eatery, just do a little pre-planning before you go. Look for places that have healthier options that won’t destroy your eating habits the next day. Think sushi, think mediterranean, think new-American spots that can be more aware of the importance of balanced macronutrients. That way, you can splurge on a couple menu items, whilst eating a healthy Valentine’s Day dinner, too. 

Swap Out the Sweet Stuff 

Look, you’re gonna be all kinds of sweet and gooey on Valentine’s Day, right? So why do your munchies have to be that way too? Instead, have some healthy Valentine’s day snacks and treats, instead of gorging on chocolates, such as a fruit basket. Another option is to scale up your sweet tooth — pick up a very high quality and very tiny amount of goodies from a classy chocolatier. That way you’ll feel satisfied with just a few bites of chocolate, rather than emptying an entire box of the slightly lower-tiered options. 

Slyly Infuse Some Exercise 

Now don’t get us wrong, we’re not advocating that you both hit the squat rack with Barry White playing in the background. But if you live near a beach or body of water, why not go for a late afternoon-early evening stroll with each other, taking in the sunset, feeling all the warm-and-squishies, not to mention getting in those steps, too! You could also hop in a paddle boat on a nearby lake, or rent a set of bikes to explore your city’s downtown streets. Just anything to inject a little bit of movement and activity into your romantic date night. 

Break Out Those Cooking Skills

When we said you shouldn’t spend your V-Day eating steamed broccoli standing up at your kitchen counter — we meant it. But that does not mean that you can’t sprinkle some of Cupid’s magic dust all around your homestead. As most of us know, eating at a restaurant is always going to be around double the calories of pretty much anything you make at home. So why not stay in, and create an elevated evening in the comfort of your living room? That means cooking something fancy (something you’ve never made before, something challenging, something with multiple ingredients) and working together as a team to create a healthy, and heavenly, dish to share. 

Get on Those Dancing Shoes

Another great Valentine’s Day plan that’s also good for the old ticker is to schedule a couples’ dance class with your loved one. Look into your city’s offerings – chances are you’ll find salsa, flamenco, or ball-room dancing classes that you can book ahead of time, will have you breaking a sweat, and will help you become closer with your Valentine. Again, the key here is to not make it seem like you’re trying to overrun the romance of the holiday with a bunch of forced fitness stuff. 

Go on a Valentine’s Day Picnic

For those of us with kids, Valentine’s Day can be a time for celebrating all kinds of love, not just the romantic kind. To bring everyone together during the holiday, why not set up a fun and festive Valentine’s Day picnic! You can bring everyone’s favorite healthy Valentine’s Day treats, a blanket, bubbly drinks (of one kind or another), and find a picturesque spot near your local park, beach, or mountain if you’re in a hiking mood, and go and spend some quality time with your loved ones while spending time outdoors, and getting in a little exercise.

Stretch It Out

Last but not least, why not try out a peaceful and relaxing yoga class together as a couple? Choose something easy and restorative, rather than a higher-level class, and stretch it out together with some lit candles and soft, romantic music playing in the background. Once again, you’ll be casually getting in a good workout, but the only thing you’ll be focused on is spending quality time with your person. And what’s more Valentine’s Day than that?

At Studio SWEAT onDemand, we offer an entire library of online Mind & Body Classes that you can do on your own, or with your partner — from the comfort of anywhere. Take the next step and sign up for a  7-Day Free Trial, where you can experience our endless variety of Indoor Cycling, Yoga, Pilates, Body Sculpting, TRX, HIIT, and tons more virtual fitness classes, to help you keep off that cherubic-chubbiness all year long. Happy Valentine’s Day, lovebirds!