video<\/a> they posted \u2014 captioned \u201cIt\u2019s 6:00 AM, time to prove to my wife that pilates is easy\u201d \u2014 shows Zach walking confidently into class, and limping out with a new outlook.\u00a0On the other hand, Liz skips out of the studio, declaring, \u201cSuch a relaxing class,\u201d while Zach stares at her in disbelief.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cLiz had been telling me about her pilates class for months, and she kind of found a passion in it,\u201d Zach shares exclusively with PEOPLE. \u201cShe\u2019d been asking me to come join her. So I was like, okay, let\u2019s do it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
While the video was filmed like a comedy sketch, the reactions were the real deal. \u201cI did think it was going to be easier than it was,\u201d Zach admits. \u201cIt was surprising. It\u2019s not easy.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Even though the couple filmed the skit after class to be respectful of the other participants, the sweat and grimaces weren\u2019t just for show. \u201cHolding a lunge in a single position for over a minute or doing some of the stuff with the bands that I\u2019d never done\u2026 Those were very real reactions,\u201d Zach says.\n<\/p>\n
Liz could barely keep a straight face watching her husband struggle. \u201cI kept looking over at him being like, well, I told you,\u201d she laughs. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me too\u2026 I just started in November. My core and everything has been tough getting it back. So looking over, I\u2019m like, see, it\u2019s not just me.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Stock photo of a woman happily doing pilates.<\/p>\n
Getty<\/p>\n
Zach\u2019s biggest surprise came from the reformer machine itself. \u201cWe did the reformer pilates, which was a big machine, and that stuff was complicated,\u201d he says. \u201cDoing stuff on that machine with moving parts and cables and the ropes and all that\u2026 It was a totally new experience.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
He adds, \u201cThere was a learning curve there for sure. I was definitely slamming the carriage and all of the beginner things that are typical.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
And while he\u2019s done everything from yoga to weightlifting and running, Zach says nothing really prepared him for this. \u201cIt definitely works different muscles in a different way,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s refreshing and different.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Liz has been consistent with her pilates practice since their second child was born. \u201cI just had our second, who\u2019s now eight months old. That\u2019s when I started\u2026 and it feels so good after. I\u2019m obsessed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
For Zach, the experience was more than a workout \u2014 it was a relationship check-in and has given him a new perspective on his wife\u2019s strength. \u201cSince having our second baby, she\u2019s really taken her fitness seriously\u2026 and knowing how difficult it is, she\u2019s extremely impressive,\u201d he shares.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Having Zach join Liz\u2019s class \u2014 grippy socks and all \u2014 meant a lot to the mom of two. \u201cWe\u2019re both busy, so it meant a lot that he came out and did it with me,\u201d she says. \u201cI also feel like whenever I come home from class, I\u2019m like, \u2018Oh, yeah, we did this.\u2019 And he\u2019s like, \u2018Oh yeah,\u2019 like he gets it now.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Stock photo of man doing pilates.<\/p>\n
Yavuz Arslan\/ullstein bild via Getty\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two have been together 16 years, married for eight, and prioritize trying new things together. \u201cWe try to do new things like this together when we can get time for each other, even if it\u2019s something as simple as going to a workout class and getting coffee after,\u201d Zach says. \u201cThat kind of stuff\u2019s really important to us.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Zach hasn\u2019t ruled out joining Liz again \u2014 even if it\u2019s not a regular thing. \u201cIf it weren\u2019t as far away as it is, because it is like a 20, 30 minute drive, I would probably be doing it more with her,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a cool way to mix things up if you\u2019re stuck in a workout rut.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
And for any guys still doubting pilates, Zach has one message: \u201cGo try it with no pre-judgment and just see if you like it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Liz agrees. \u201cIt\u2019s not just for the girls, too. I feel like incorporating that even once a week, a couple of times a month, is just so good\u2026 it does so many different things for you than your typical workouts.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
But if you think you\u2019re just in for a spa day, beware. \u201cWhen I walked in, I was like, this is going to be even easier than I thought it was going to be,\u201d Zach says. \u201cIt felt so calm and peaceful\u2026 and then you start sweating like crazy and your abs are shaking and you\u2019re like, oh wait, this isn\u2019t serene.\u201d\n<\/p>\n