It’s easy to get in a rut, especially when you settle into a longer term relationships.
When my boyfriend and I met neither of us were active. I would hit the gym sporadically. I asked him to come with me but he hated the gym. I didn’t blame him.
Still I knew that we should be more active. My idea of a good Saturday was reading for about 8 hours straight. Talk about sitting disease.
And while reading is sexy, so is working out. Staying in good shape means better sex. And better sex means happier couples. And don’t forget, we are here to help if you feel like your relationships are stuck. Join LOVE TV and cut through the nonsense to streamline your journey in love.
Make a run for it
One day my boyfriend begrudgingly went on a run with a friend. Before long he went on another run, and another. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about so I gave it a try. Running still isn’t my favorite, but here’s why I stick with it:
- When I burn 250 calories in 30 minutes, I don’t feel guilty for eating cake.
- It costs one good pair of running shoes.
- It has made my relationships stronger.
That third reason is the best. I don’t love running but I do love running with him. He encourages me and keeps me going when I want to quit. We know each other better and support the other in their running goals to get faster or run farther.
It has also given us a fun new weekend activity. Some Sunday mornings we’re out of bed early to go on a run. I never thought this would be me. But when your running partner is also your favorite person, it does great things for your motivation.
I’ve even managed to talk him into several fun runs like The Color Run or The Hot Chocolate 5k. These races keep us training even when we don’t feel like it.
Running has given us something to do together and has brought us closer than ever.
On the rocks
The next hobby my boyfriend wanted to try was rock climbing at a local gym. This was definitely too adventurous for my taste. I went anyway since I wanted to encourage his healthy habits. To my surprise, I enjoyed it.
Now one of our favorite things to do together is visit the climbing gym. We encourage each other to push our limits and work together to find ways to finish challenging routes and climbing problems. We’ve met a lot of great people and made some close friends through climbing.
Something fun to do
When you’re in a new relationship, it’s easy to find fun things to do and talk about. You’re in that “get to know each other” phase that can be so much fun. But then you start to settle into patterns. While the stability is nice, it can be a relationship-killer.
The connections you make through shared activities can keep your relationships alive. It gives you something to talk about, a way to meet other people, and improves your own mental and physical well-being. And just when you think you know everything about your SO, you learn that they are terrible at mini-golf and you spend hours laughing with each other.
When you connect over shared activities, you forge an even stronger bond.
Be grateful for what you can do
Maybe you have a bad knee or somehow got tennis elbow without playing a lick of tennis. Regardless, be grateful for what your body can do. When you start to appreciate your body for what it can do, instead of how it looks, confidence comes easier. Learn more about how a little bit of appreciation can change everything in love.
Even if I’m not a super athlete or a marathon runner, I am grateful that my boyfriend and I can still find fun new things that challenge us and keep us close.
Not sure what to try? Here are a few more ideas:
- Kayaking encourages communication and teamwork.
- Kickboxing classes will make your butt (and your partner’s) look even better.
- Trampoline parks aren’t just for kids.
- Laser tag is a surprisingly good workout.
- Go for a bike ride. Does your city have a bike share program?
- Play frisbee at your local park.
- Go paddle boating on your local lake.
- Take up photography. This makes a great excuse to find new hiking trails.
Get out there and have fun!