Want a happier marriage? Try this simple habit together

What if one of the simplest things you do with your partner could also benefit your relationship? New research has found an interesting link between a common everyday activity and how couples communicate.

The researchers studied nearly 1 700 young married couples and compared different ways of doing this activity. What they found may make you think differently about how you spend your free time together.

What exercise with your partner could do for your relationship

Researchers from Brigham Young University found that those who exercised with their partner reported better communication, stronger conflict resolution and lower levels of marital stress than couples who did not exercise together.

The study analysed survey data from young married couples participating in the nationally representative Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study.

Researchers compared individual physical activity with exercise performed together as a couple.

They examined three relationship outcomes: communication, conflict resolution and marital stress. Both individual exercise and shared exercise were associated with healthier relationship outcomes. Exercising with your partner consistently showed stronger associations.

The research was conducted by BYU School of Family Life professor Jeremy Yorgason with co-author Ashlyn Hiatt Mildenhall, who began the project as an undergraduate researcher at BYU.

“Our findings suggest that conjoint exercise facilitates, in a small but significant way, the ability to resolve conflict peacefully,” Yorgason said.

Communication showed the strongest association

Of the three outcomes studied, exercise had the biggest reported impact on communication. Couples who exercised together also reported better listening and greater feelings of being heard and supported by their spouse.

Mildenhall said it was interesting that walking was the most commonly reported shared exercise, because it naturally creates opportunities for couples to communicate.

You don’t need a gym to exercise with your partner

The findings suggest that couples do not need expensive gym memberships or elaborate equipment to exercise together.

The most commonly reported form of exercise among couples was walking, making it a relatively simple way for partners to spend time being active together. About 60% of husbands and wives in the sample said they exercised, but only about a third said they exercised together.

And if the thought of another gym session doesn’t appeal, here’s why you might want to exercise in nature instead, as one can easily enjoy a walk in nature together.

Does exercising together guarantee a happier marriage?

Not according to the researchers. They caution that shared exercise is not a cure for relationship challenges. For young couples, particularly those raising children, exercising together may also require deliberately finding time amid the demands of family life.

Instead, the researchers suggest that exercising together is one of many healthy habits that can create regular opportunities for connection.

The study, published in Family Relations, found consistent associations between shared physical activity and the relationship outcomes examined. However, the findings do not establish that exercising together directly causes better communication or conflict resolution.

Have you noticed a difference in your relationship when you exercise with your partner?