How our DINK lifestyle fuels our Fitness Journey
When was the last time you did something for you?
Even Dinks get caught up in the cycle of work, eat, sleep, repeat. After all, the dual-income part is pretty important for living the DINK lifestyle. It’s easy to fall into a routine and forget to take time for yourself. That was the case for Mark and I in January 2024. That January we decided to participate in the first RunDisney event to return after the Covid Pandemic, and we thought it would be a piece of cake. Needless to say we were hit with a cold dose of our fitness reality when walking 3.1 miles felt like the end of the world. We barely made it to the finish line and it took almost two hours for us to walk that distance. That was when we knew we had to make some changes.
One of the reasons that we chose the DINK life was to have more time to invest in ourselves and control over our time and energy. But that doesn’t mean choosing exercise over ice cream is easy! After the struggle of that 5k we sat down and made some changes. We knew that the life we wanted to live included mobility, health, and longevity, and we were not currently headed down that road.
We decided to stick with RunDisney events as our main motivator because they are fun! The energy, the costumes, the cute medals, they are a truly great experience. But in order to be successful we had to figure out how to prioritize movement as a couple. Here are some of the ways we made it fun!
Moving Together: planning our walks/runs around each other’s schedule so that we help keep each other accountable and also have a movement buddy has been crucial to keeping us consistent.
Post-Movement Treats: stopping at our local Starbucks for coffee on our weekend walks added a special element to our fitness journey that made it feel even more like a date. We bonded over cold brew while chatting about our weeks after the walks.
Fitness Trackers: tracking isn’t for everyone, but being able to share and see each other’s fitness goals being met was really motivating for us. It really solidified that we are in this together!
Now almost a year and a half later we are doing a 5k a week, and after we finish we still have energy to go on dates at Disneyland!
-The Wandering Dinks
P.S. Follow along on our socials as we continue this journey.
Welcome to The Wandering DINKS: Life, Love, and Living Without Limits
“Life is too important to be taken Seriously” - Oscar Wilde
18 years ago on our first date I told Mark that if he wanted kids he should date someone else because I was not the girl for him. I absolutely expected our first date to be our last, I mean he was in his 30’s and probably wanted a family right? Wrong. Within six months we were engaged and another six months after that we were married. Seventeen years of marriage later we are living a full and adventurous life. We don’t believe life has to follow a script, ours doesn’t.
So what is a DINK? I remember the first time I heard this term, I was talking with one of my students' parents, and they asked if I had kids of my own, I laughed and said “No I have 150 kids!” She laughed and then said “Oh so you’re living that DINK life.” Having never heard the term before she needed to define it for me. “ Dual Income No Kids” she said, winking at me like I had a secret. That’s when I realized, this was the secret…we didn’t have kids, despite being married for years and having stable careers we didn’t have kids, which allowed us more freedom than many of our peers. Being a DINK isn’t just a label, it’s a lifestyle.
Now almost ten years after that realization we are still DINKS and embracing every moment of it. Both of us work full-time jobs and we fully embrace the phrase “ Work hard, Play hard.” After all, the key to being a DINK is DUAL INCOME. The luxury is that once all our needs are met, we have the ability to spend that income on things that feed our souls. We love to travel, eat good food, drink good wine, and share new experiences with each other.
We want to invite you to come on this journey with us, as we wander through the world as DINKs. Whether it's sipping champagne in France, planning the perfect at-home date night, or finding the best hidden gems on a weekend getaway, we’re here to show you that the DINK lifestyle isn’t about what’s missing but everything that’s possible.
This journey is for anyone who’s curious about a life without kids, already living it, or just looking for ways to live more intentionally and joyfully with the partner they love.
So pack light, bring your sense of adventure, and let’s wander together.
– The Wandering Dinks
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