Couples who play together stay together

Reported February 05, 2010

By Jari Love, For Neighbours

Women are masters at multi-tasking.

We can schedule play dates for our kids, spend a full day at work, do all the grocery shopping and still have dinner on the table for the entire family.

However, to make it all happen, we often put ourselves and relationships with our partners on the back burner. Despite our talents, it is a frustrating fact that there are only 24 hours in a day.

Shuttling our kids to soccer practice may win over going for a run, and laundry might trump spending quality time with our husbands.

Life can be overwhelming, but we have to take a moment to reassess what we want in our lives and make sure we put our happiness and a strong relationship with our partners at the top of a list of must-haves.

Time is precious, but you don't need to choose between time to get fit and time to invest in your relationship.

If you make your health and fitness a priority, you will also be helping your relationship. Studies show that people who are physically fit have stronger relationships and improved sex lives.

Even better, make time to work out together.

Research shows that up to 94 per cent of couples stick with their fitness programs when they work out together.

That doesn't mean you have to keep up with your partner who is training for triathlons while you are just learning how to properly execute a push-up.

You can work out at the same gym, cycle while he runs, or schedule a hiking date on a sunny weekend.

Working out together also means spending time together and finding a shared hobby. Think back to when you first met your partner and how fun it was to get out and enjoy activities together.

People who exercise feel better about their bodies and see themselves as more attractive -- 80 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women who worked out 2-3 times a week rated their sexual desirability as above average. That confidence is an instant turn-on!

Both men and women are attracted to physically fit partners, but you don't need to worry about looking like a runway model.

Our Get Ripped! Survey found that guys want a gal who is fit, but still curvy -- think Beyonce -- and women want a man who is toned, like David Beckham, but not too muscular.

In fact, regardless of six-pack abs and a rock hard butt, couples are most concerned with their partner's overall health. These principles apply at any age; 60-year-olds who worked out frequently reported having sex lives comparable to people 20 years younger!

The connection between fitness and improved sex lives isn't just about vanity. Lifting weights increases testosterone production which helps to increase the sex drive in both men and women.

Studies have proven that fit people are more easily aroused. If you are short on time, compound exercises, which work more than one muscle group, are the most effective.

Squats are one of the best exercises because they require the use of large muscles and tone the glutes -- a favourite body part for both men and women.

Fitness and sex also give us the same feeling of euphoria. Endorphins, the neurotransmitters which reduce pain, are released both during a successful workout (sometimes known as a runner's high) and a great roll in the hay.

Anytime you spend in the gym will benefit you when you get home. Fit and healthy people live longer and fuller lives -- all the more time to spend with your mate inside and outside of the bedroom.