Does your relationship need strength training?  Fitting in fitness with your significant other is a great way to increase your motivation and love making mojo.  Implementing physical activity into your couple’s time is beneficial for improving teamwork skills, revving up your sex drive, amplifying your energy, and most importantly, allowing for more time together.  Here are the top reasons why exercise can be the best form of couples therapy.

A Labor of Love

If sweating solo is important to you, then don’t eliminate your “me” time entirely.  Rather, pencil in 1-2 days per week where you can be a cardio crushing couple, taking on the world one workout at a time.  Extrinsic motivation is linked with greater levels of weight-loss success.  You are much more likely to complete your workout knowing that someone is counting on you. Having a fitness friend encourages accountability, in addition to making workouts enjoyable and affordable, especially if you decide to split the cost of a personal trainer or purchase a new piece of fitness equipment.   Make fitness fun by placing friendly bets and giving rewards when goals are achieved.  For example, test who can hold a plank the longest, or tally who can perform the most burpees in 30 seconds.  A reward could be a celebratory date night at a restaurant you have been wanting to try, or purchasing each other a cool new workout outfit for your next session at the gym.  Doing so promotes a sense of teamwork - a key element to any successful relationship.

Get frisky

Did you know that sex can be an effective form of exercise?  Replacing your humdrum gym routine with a spicy "sexercise" session is a guaranteed better time than any Zumba or Kickboxing class.  A solid session between the sheets causes the secretion of Oxytocin in the body, a hormone associated with feelings of love, trust and romantic attraction.  Sex has the ability to transform our bodies from Carbie to Barbie, and to better our brain health due to the high levels of endorphins released from pleasure.  Put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your doorknob, and lets get physical.         

Quality Time

After an arduous day at work, our minds and bodies are in need of some serious TLC.  While it may be tempting to plop down on the couch and devour a stuffed crust pizza with your partner, consider engaging in positive activities that stimulate conversation, team building and the fulfillment of fitness goals instead.  Think of it this way, improving your heart health now is preventative medicine for avoiding a broken heart later.  Physical activity improves your quality of life.  For your body and relationship to be healthy, they require time, dedication and commitment.  Setting health conscious goals and achieving them together, makes for a strong, flourishing future.

A couple that sweats together, stays together. 

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