5 Ways Working Out With Your Partner Boosts Relationship Satisfaction
It doesn't have to be a trip to the gym, even something like a walk can cultivate a better relationship dynamic.
Bohdan Malitskiy / Shutterstock.com In the craziness of life, finding time to spend with your partner can be challenging — amidst work chaos, family commitments, and chores, it feels impossible on some days.
Of course, planning a date or dedicating hours to your partner just isn’t feasible on some days—yet there are still ways to prioritize quality time, communication, and support in the relationship without stressing about finding the time.
Even if you’re not already consistent with a workout regime, inviting your partner to move their body with you is a perfect way to dedicate consistent time together. Whether you’re working out in silence at the gym or simply chatting on a morning walk, there are incredible benefits for couples who work out together.
5 ways working out with your partner can boost your relationship satisfaction:
1. You can motivate and support each other’s goals
Outside of the benefits working out has for the average person, inviting your partner to join you for workouts, runs, or walks can help boost motivation and support. If you’re struggling to push yourself towards a new goal or stay consistent with your journey of moving your body, having a supportive partner with you can be motivating.
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You’re not only solidifying your fitness goals but also creating new ones collaboratively as a couple. It’s much easier to both stick to these goals and dedicate time to reaching them when there’s another person to hold you accountable.
Research has shown that partners are equally more fulfilled in their relationships when they explore reaching their fitness goals together.
2. Shared activities and experiences can help build your connection
Research on long-term committed relationships shows that dedicating time to dates that “promote closeness” can boost intimacy, connection, and satisfaction in relationships. Whether it’s a round of golf, an outing at the gym, or a walk after dinner — dates like these can help both with self-expansion and relationship engagement.
In addition to simply integrating your partner into an existing workout routine, try doing something new every once in a while. Trying something new together brings excitement and adventure into your relationship and can boost your connection even further.
Especially for long-term couples or even partners who’ve been married for decades, bringing in these new exciting experiences and dedicated blocks of time together is essential to keeping things fresh.
Make a commitment, even if it’s just for a few weeks, to move your bodies together — you might just notice a transformative shift in your general fulfillment and happiness.
3. Prioritizing physical activity improves mental health
Studies show that people who work out regularly, whether it’s lifting weights in the gym or taking consistent walks throughout the week, have lower rates of mental illness and better overall well-being. When you’re showing up for yourself, dedicated to a routine, and moving your body, you’re building a better foundation for a relationship.
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Nothing is going to be easy all the time in a relationship. Ensuring you’re healthy as an individual leads to better health as a couple.
You need to care for and love yourself before you can do the same for someone else, and sharing that goal together is equally beneficial.
4. Working out together means more quality time as a couple
Carving out dedicated time to spend with your partner is essential to any relationship. Sometimes, you just need the silent company of doing something together, other times you’re chatting it up on a quick hike.
Find what works best for your and your partner’s daily schedule and lifestyle — don’t forget to be consistent! The more you prioritize exercise in your lives, the easier it will be to make time for each other, even on the toughest of days.
5. Working out together can improve intimacy
In most cases, working out, whether with a partner or not, helps to cultivate a better relationship with yourself. From confidence to general health to body image — many people feel more comfortable with themselves when they’re consistently moving their bodies.
Being more comfortable in your own skin has a huge impact on intimacy.
Liking how you look and feeling more energetic directly impacts sexual health and intimacy.
You don't have to train for a marathon to reap the benefits of working out with your better half. Just be willing to try something new together and see where the next adventure takes you.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.