How do we stay motivated to work out in winter?

Make it visible (a fridge calendar), shared (team points) and short (four weeks). Plan indoor options in advance so a freezing evening does not cancel the day, and do one session a week together.

Should couples compete against each other in a fitness challenge?

Mostly no. Head-to-head scoring tends to end with one person quitting. Score as a team and keep any rivalry to a small weekly side bet.

What can we do for exercise indoors in winter?

Follow-along workouts, stair laps, bodyweight circuits (squats, push-ups, lunges, planks), dancing, a resistance band set, or a gym class. Twenty minutes counts.

What happens if one of us misses a day?

Nothing, under the two-day rule. Miss two in a row and the next session is one you do together. Misses get a 'rough day?', never a scorecard.

❄️ Dates for Couples

winter fitness challenges for couples

A winter fitness challenge for couples works when it is short, shared and scored as a team: four weeks, a weekly target each of you sets for yourself, and points that add up to one reward you both want. Below is the full plan, with an indoor and outdoor option for every week, because January is not going to cooperate.

by An Nayal, founder of Flamme · Updated October 2026

length: Four weeks, about 20 to 40 minutes a day
cost: Free. Optional: grippers for icy walks ($15 to $25), a resistance band set ($15 to $30)
where: Living room, stairs, a gym, or outside in daylight
scoring: Team points, never one partner against the other

how to set up a couples winter challenge

step 1

Set your own targets

Each of you picks a starting number for the plank hold and daily steps that feels a little easy. A challenge you finish beats a heroic one you quit in week two. Your numbers do not need to match.

step 2

Agree the reward

One shared reward at 100 team points: a nice dinner, a spa day, the thing in the online basket. Write it at the top of the tracker so you both see it every day.

step 3

Make the tracker visible

A paper calendar on the fridge with two pen colours, or a shared note. Each completed daily target is 1 point for the team. Both doing it on the same day earns a bonus point.

step 4

Use the two-day rule

Miss a day and nothing happens. Miss two in a row and you do the next session together. No commentary on misses: winter has sick days, dark days and work-is-on-fire days.

what does the four-week plan look like?

week	daily target	indoor option	outdoor option
1: show up	20 minutes of movement on 4 days	A YouTube workout or dance in the living room	A brisk walk in daylight, together if you can
2: add strength	Week 1 plus a daily plank (your own start time, add 5 seconds every other day)	Plank side by side before dinner	Same, just inside. Planks on frozen ground are not a thing
3: add steps	Week 2 plus a daily step target 1,000 above your normal	Stair laps, walking calls, a mall walk	A longer weekend walk or a winter hike
4: test and celebrate	Retest the plank and your best step day, then a celebration session together	A class you have never tried	Skating, sledding, snowshoeing, whatever the weather allows

how do you keep a couples challenge kind?

Score as a team. One combined total, one reward. The second you rank each other, someone starts hiding the tracker.
Different targets are fair targets. A 60-second plank and a 20-second plank are both a full point.
Never comment on the other person's body or food. The challenge is about showing up.
Sick means rest, and rest earns the point. Anyone with a fever is not training.
Do one session a week together. It is the session people remember, and it is a date.

how do you exercise outside safely in winter?

Dress in three layers: a base layer that wicks sweat, a warm middle layer and a wind or waterproof shell, plus a hat and gloves. Start a little cold, because you warm up within ten minutes. Walk or run in daylight where you can, wear something reflective after dark, and add slip-on ice grippers to your shoes on icy days. Warm up indoors for five minutes before going out.

how much exercise should we aim for?

The World Health Organization's guideline for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening work on two or more days. Week 1 of this plan (20 minutes on 4 days) gets you to 80 minutes, and the walks in weeks 3 and 4 close the gap. If you are starting from zero, that ramp is the point.

bonus challenges for extra team points

1. A sunrise walk together on a weekend (2 points).
2. Try a class neither of you has done: spin, boxing, a dance class (2 points).
3. Stairs only, all day, both of you (1 point).
4. A 10-minute stretch together before bed, three nights in a week (2 points).
5. Build a snowman or go sledding for at least 30 minutes (2 points, the photo is mandatory).
6. Cook a warm high-protein dinner together after a workout (1 point).

variations & upgrades

long-distance version

Same plan, shared tracker, and a Sunday video call to add up the week's points. Do your one together session on the same call: a 20-minute workout with both cameras on. Nobody skips a workout their partner is watching.

the gentle version

If either of you is coming back from injury or just really hates exercise, swap the plank for 10 minutes of stretching and the step target for a daily walk around the block. The team points work exactly the same way.

the competitive add-on

If you both want rivalry, add one weekly side bet that is separate from the team score: most improved plank, or highest step day. The loser makes the coffee for a week. Keep it separate so the main challenge stays a team effort.

good questions, answered

A four-week challenge with a weekly target each of you sets yourself: 20 minutes of movement on 4 days, then add a daily plank, then a step target, then retest. Score as a team toward one shared reward, with indoor options for every day.

An Nayal

Founder of Flamme, the couples app used by more than 200,000 partners. He writes the relationship guides here and builds the free tools that go with them. annayal.com

also try

Date ideas turns a game night into a full date: 260 plans, filtered by budget and vibe.

keep the night going

🏃 Fitness Rivalry

Fair rules + 10 weekly couple challenges.

📊 Habit Trackers for Couples

Shared streaks without the nagging - 20 habit ideas.

⏱️ HIIT Workouts for Couples

Three 20-minute partner HIIT workouts, timed and scaled.

⛸️ Ice Skating for Couples

The first rink date: costs, holding hands, falling well.

💪 Best Workout Apps

Strava, Hevy, class platforms - matched to your sport.

two streaks are better than one

Flamme keeps a shared daily streak for you both: one question a day, answered together, plus couple games and widgets for the dark evenings. Free on iPhone and Android.

scan to get the app 📱

Point your camera at the code - it opens the App Store or Google Play on your phone.