Valentine’s Day is here and everyone is wondering how to make that day perfect. But what about beyond Valentine’s Day? How do you keep up the relationship? Studies and experts offer an easy solution – work out together.
So why does working out help the relationship? Becky Renner, owner of Orangetheory Fitness, and Michael Yasinski, a Valley psychiatrist, offer some easy answers for why working out is a great solution.
Both experts explain that a workout can be an easy way for a couple to set aside time to spend together to do something productive and healthy.
“It is similar to setting aside time to go to dinner or watch a movie,” Renner explains. “It is something you can do together and share a common interest. It is one hour of time to be together doing something that you both have a passion for.”
Not only is working out an easy way to be together, but Renner adds, “It keeps you healthy and fit. It makes you want to go home and continue to keep each other accountable.”
Yasinski expounds a similar theory.
“It is a conditioning response,” he says. “With the euphoria and endorphins that you get from working out and doing it together, then you associate those positive feelings with your partner.”
Another simple explanation to the workout theory is attraction.
“Not only will you bond emotionally when working out together, but your physical relationship is likely to get better, too. When you feel good about your body, you feel attractive, and you are more inclined to have a healthier sexual appetite that is vital in a successful relationship,” Renner says.
With long-term relationships, Yasinski says, the attraction can be lost and that going to the gym and seeing other people checking out your partner can help bring that desire back.
“A lot of it is about attraction and your sex life. Especially for men who tend to be more physically oriented, it is important to help the desire of the relationship,” he says. “When you are susceptible to seeing other people checking out your partner, then it can help recreate the original attraction.”
For these reasons, it is important to keep up some of the appearances in a relationship. Both partners need to be committed to staying fit and healthy because it helps show each other that you are not only willing to work on yourself, but on each other as well.
If you haven’t found that perfect someone, don’t despair. Renner says she sees all kinds of pairs coming into the gym to be workout buddies. Parents and their children, siblings, and best friends are great combos to keep motivated at the gym.
“It keeps you accountable,” she says. “I see an increase in the length of stay, the frequency, and accountable eating from people who come together rather than someone on their own.”
So what are some great couples workouts? Try going for a hike, run on the treadmill next to each other, try a Zumba or yoga class, or lift weights together. No matter what the workout is, do it together. Not only will you get a great burn, but you can spend time together, feel fit and happy and recreate that sexual desire.
