Improve your fitness for a better love life!

The benefits of exercise are numerous, but do you know how exercise enhances your love life?  So February being the month of love, I thought I would address the couples among you. If you are a new couple, a longstanding couple, with or without kids, you’ll be pleased to know that the time you devote to training can contribute toward the quality and longevity of your relationship. Here are a few more reasons for integrating exercise into your lifestyle or for continuing to train.

1. To reduce tension and handle conflict better
 
Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress. When you have a disagreement and your partner is being a pain, take a walk or go for a run! During this time, you’ll be able to think, put things into perspective, and return home with a clear head to discuss the situation calmly. Furthermore, research has revealed that physical activity improves your ability to concentrate and to listen more attentively, thus enhancing communication.

2. To feel good about yourself

Training regularity not only improves health, but also enhances appearance. This change in appearance makes couples feel more comfortable about their bodies and more attracted to one another. The endorphins circulating in your body after training make you feel good about yourself, increase your self esteem, and your partner will appear even more appealing.

3. To improve your sexuality

Physiologically, when the heart and arteries are healthy, circulation improves and supplies more blood to active muscles and body organs. This increases their effectiveness, making them perform better. Exercise could therefore prevent the onset of erectile dysfunction, among others. Also, since feeling better about yourself can lower certain inhibitions, exercise would appear to influence sexual desire.  In fact aerobic exercise actually intensifies sex drive. According to some studies, even the frequency of sexual relations would appear to increase among persons engaged in an aerobic exercise program.

4. To be together

The daily routine of work, meals, and kids leaves you with little time for yourself and, as a couple, it is easy to drift apart. Making time to work out can have a therapeutic effect. Training with your partner is actually a great way to do something together. Ride a stationary bike side by side, assist each other when doing weights, or attend a group exercise class together. Simply going to the gym at the same time, even if you don’t do the same workout, will help you relax and give you a common goal: feel better about yourselves!

So, how about you? How does exercise make you closer as a couple?

By Karine Larose

References:

• Anthony, Hackney, Moore and Brownlee (2005), Relationship Between Circulating Cortisol and Testosterone : Influence of Physical Exercise, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 4, p. 76-83
• David Charles Frauman (published on line Jan 2010), The relationship between physical exercise, sexual activity, and desire for sexual activity, The Journal of Sex Research, p. 41-46.
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/80273-effect-exercise-sex-drive/
• http://www.canadianliving.com/health/health_and_wellness_club/5_exercises_that_will_boost_your_libido.php

Improve your fitness for a better love life! is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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