Quick answer: Yes, couples over 60 can absolutely train with a personal trainer, and you don’t have to choose one format forever. With certified personal trainer Paul Fischer in Reno, you can book shared sessions, train separately, or mix the two. Either way, each of you gets a plan built around your own body, goals and health history, so one partner’s bad knee never holds back the other’s progress.

Key takeaways

• Spouses tend to influence each other’s activity levels: when one partner gets more active, the other tends to follow.
• Training together adds accountability and shared goals, but it isn’t automatically better. Research suggests some couples do more when they train on their own.
• Paul Fischer offers shared sessions for couples, and partners are equally welcome to train separately.
• In a shared session, you still each follow your own program, matched to your fitness level and any injuries or conditions.
• The right format is the one you’ll stick with, and it can change as your goals and schedules do.

Does training with your spouse actually help?

Yes, it really can. Partners shape each other’s habits, and exercise is no exception. A long-running U.S. study followed 3,261 married couples for six years and found that when one spouse became more active, the other usually did too. People whose spouse met physical activity guidelines were more likely to meet them as well.

That’s a pattern worth using. If you’ve been thinking about getting stronger, bringing your spouse along may be one of the simplest ways to make the habit last.

But “together” isn’t automatically better. A 2023 study from Nanyang Technological University tracked 240 married adults aged 54 to 72 for 12 weeks. Those assigned to exercise with their spouse averaged about 10,400 steps a day, compared with about 11,400 for those who exercised on their own. The researchers’ explanation: after decades of marriage, fitting a new habit into two schedules can be harder than fitting it into one.

The takeaway for couples over 60 isn’t “train together” or “train apart.” It’s that the support of a partner helps, and the format should fit your life. That’s why Paul offers both.

Shared sessions: training side by side

In a shared session, you and your partner train at the same time with Paul Fischer at Performance EDU in Reno. It’s a good fit if you:

• Want built-in accountability, since it’s harder to skip when someone else is counting on you
• Are working toward the same goal, like a big trip, hiking at Tahoe, the upcoming ski season or keeping up with the grandkids
• Enjoy the time together and want exercise to be something you share
• Have schedules that already line up

What a shared session isn’t: a one-size-fits-all class for two.Paul assesses each partner individually, then runs both programs in the same hour. You might be doing loaded step-ups while your spouse works on balance and hip stability a few feet away. You’re training together, but not necessarily identically.

Training separately: same trainer, your own time

Plenty of couples prefer to book their own sessions, and Paul Fischer welcomes that too. Separate sessions often make more sense when:

• Your schedules don’t match, especially if one of you still works or travels
• Your fitness levels are far apart and one of you wants to push harder
• One partner is managing a condition, like osteoporosis or a disc issue, that benefits from Paul’s full attention
• One of you simply focuses better one-on-one

You still get the couple’s advantage. You’re working with the same trainer, so Paul knows both of your goals and can keep you on complementary paths.You can compare notes at dinner, cheer each other’s progress and keep each other honest about any at-home exercises he assigns.

What if we’re at different fitness levels?

That’s the most common situation, not a problem. Very few couples arrive with matching strength, balance and health histories.One partner might be a regular at the gym while the other hasn’t lifted anything heavier than a grocery bag in years. One might have a replaced knee, the other a cranky lower back.

This is where Paul Fischer’s background matters. With roughly 30 years of experience, ACE certification, CHEK IMS Level 3 training and a background as a physical therapy aide, Paul is used to working around joint replacements, arthritis, osteoporosis and back issues. Every client starts with an individual assessment, and each partner’s program is built from their own results.

That way:

• The stronger partner keeps progressing instead of waiting
• The partner with an injury or condition trains safely, at the right pace
• Neither of you compares yourself to the other, because you’re not doing the same workout

If one of you has a health issue your doctor is monitoring, check with them before starting. Paul is happy to coordinate with the guidance you’ve been given.

How to get started as a couple

You don’t need to decide on a format before you reach out. Here’s how it usually works with Paul Fischer:

1. Get in touch. Let Paul know you’re interested as a couple, and share anything he should know, like past injuries, conditions or goals.
2. Individual assessments. Paul evaluates each of you separately, so your programs start from accurate information rather than guesses.
3. Choose your format. Shared sessions, separate sessions or a mix. Paul will tell you what he thinks fits, but it’s your call.
4. Adjust as you go. If schedules change, goals shift or one of you wants more one-on-one time, the format can change too.

All training takes place at Performance EDU, 3000 Airway Drive, Suite 175, in Reno. With winter on the way, it’s also a good time to move your exercise indoors.

Ready to train together, or side by side?

Whether you want to share every session or just share a trainer, Paul will build a plan for each of you and a format that fits your life. Get in touch with Paul Fischer today to start with your individual assessments at Performance EDU in Reno.