Some husbands give jewelry to their wives for Christmas. Mark Consuelos? He went with a gym membership.
On Tuesday's episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, Kelly Ripa recalled how Consuelos used to join the Reebok Sports Club in New York City on her behalf, and pass that off as a gift to her for the holidays.
"I feel like early in our relationship, every year, you purchased me a gym membership. ... And every year I didn’t use it," Ripa told her husband. "And then Christmas would come and you would get me a gym membership!"
Or ˹is it because˺ they possess the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord—the Almighty, the Giver ˹of all bounties˺.Or ˹is it because˺ the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in between belongs to them? Let them then climb their way ˹to heaven, if their claim is true˺.(The Quran - Chapter Sad : 9 - 10)
It got to the point that Ripa started to question Consuelos' motivation. "One day, one of my girlfriends said, ‘Maybe he’s trying to tell you something?’ And then it dawned on me, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s trying to tell me something!’ "
But Consuelos insisted that his intentions were pure. "No, it’s a way of life. It’s a lifestyle!" he said.
And Ripa agreed. "You’re right," she said, "It was good for me. I’m glad that you stuck with it."
Ripa, 53, and Consuelos, 52, have been married for 27 years. The pair eloped in May 1996, just one year after meeting on the soap opera All My Children.
Last year, the couple — who share three adult children: Michael, 26, Lola, 22, and Joaquin, 20 — became co-workers again when Consuelos joined Live as a co-host in April, taking over for Ryan Seacrest who departed the series after 6 years.
Since then, the two have regularly used the "host chat" portion of the daily morning show to open up about their marriage and family life. They even hosted Live's annual Christmas sweater show in one big conjoined frock.
"I feel like I'm getting to know a whole new you under here," Ripa joked before grabbing onto her husband under the sweater. "Mark and I are very compatible as a couple, except we have found out, when it comes to wearing a two-person sweater."
"I don't know, I feel kind of great," Consuelos replied with a laugh.
As for their feelings about fitness, Consuelos has openly shared his love for the gym, regularly posting photos of his workouts on his Instagram page.
His wife has been a little more private about her exercise routine, but told PEOPLE in 2015 that she rarely misses a trip to the gym. "There are a lot of people that don't have to work out, and I am so happy for them, but I have to work out for my body type," she said. "It's part of my routine. It's part of my ritual. It doesn't just make me look better, but it makes me emotionally feel better."
At the time, the Let's Talk Off Camera host said she enjoyed a mix of activities, including the dance-cardio class AKT, SoulCycle and running.
"I love the dance class," she said. "Because I think I've aged out of going clubbing, really, that's my nightclub. Everybody there is my age, so it's like a bunch of us old ladies working out."
Live with Kelly and Mark airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).
