The reader: Cooking Light reader Colleen Snow, 29, and her husband, Matt, 30, want to sync their workout routines.

The expert: Patrick Goudeau, a certified trainer who specializes in partner workouts, and who cocreated Double Trouble, a partner-specific exercise video.

Before: The Snow's say they rarely see each other on weekdays. Both are lawyers who work many 10- to 12-hour days. With free time limited, the suburban Washington, D.C., couple is sometimes forced to choose between spending time together and working out. "We go to the gym together, but I like to run on the treadmill, while Matt prefers lifting weights," Colleen says. As a result, their paths don't cross often when they exercise, except during the short drive to and from the gym.

The workout: Fortunately, quality time and workouts do not need to be mutually exclusive. Goudeau designed a home-based, 30-minute workout that requires teamwork for every move. This benefits both the Snows' health and their relationship. "Many of the exercises involve trust and communication, so when you do the workout, you create a bond," says Goudeau.

Whether your partner is a spouse, as with the Snows, or a friend, you'll both reap the benefits of a toned physique with the Partner Workout.

After: Laughter, conversation, toned quads, and a good sweat: These are just some of the perks Colleen and Matt Snow experienced while doing the partner workout after long days at a desk. "We were both having crazy times at work," Matt says. "So it was nice to be able to work out at home with Colleen and relieve some of the day's stress." The two started the workout by going for a brisk walk, during which they talked about their days, then came home to do the routine. While both appreciated the efficiency and ease of the total-body workout, Matt admits he preferred the moves that involved the medicine ball ("I like lots of passing and movement," he says), while Colleen liked the effect multiple sets of squats had on her quads and glutes. "I felt it the next morning," she says with a laugh. In fact, the couple enjoyed the routine so much that they're planning on working out during their upcoming vacation.