After a consecutive 10-day span of Netflix and Uber Eats, I began to worry that this could be the beginning of the dimming of our romantic flame. I didn’t want our relationship to lose its exciting energy. We were both such active people when we first met, but the stresses and demands of everyday life left us exhausted and it was starting to seem like we’d stopped putting as much energy into ourselves and our relationship as we used to.
I decided it was time to make a change, so we got in the car and hit the road. We decided to approach the day like we were at summer camp — we rented bikes, went swimming in the lake, and played boccie ball at a local tavern.
This action-packed day left us feeling excited, alive and more connected to one another than we’d been in ages (or the past few weeks, anyway). That day we made a pact to break free of our lazy routine every weekend and be more active together through shared hobbies.
Engaging in an activity with your spouse can strengthen your bond and help you create unforgettable memories. To keep things fun and fresh in your relationship, try some of these activities together:
Explore the Great Outdoors
Take the weekend to get into nature and enjoy the serene sounds and sprawling vistas. Spending time together without distractions allows for moments of open communication and opportunities to bring out your adventurous side. Going on biking or backpacking trips can bring you closer together since you have to rely on teamwork to navigate the trails and set up your tent.
If you live near NYC and you’d rather opt for a two or four-hour hike, we love the Storm King Mountain trail, which is about an hour north of NYC, but you can choose your adventure here.
Play a Sport
If you both enjoy being athletically active, take up a sport you can play together. Golf is one you can play together until you’re 90 years old (or so the sales pitch from my golf-loving husband goes).
Tennis is another excellent activity for couples to enjoy, as it can vary in intensity and can be played with just the two of you. Or, if you want to put your tennis skills to the test, play against another couple for a fun challenge. Find couples looking for friendly competition on the USTA site.
For an extra challenge, learn an unusual sport together like kayaking, archery, fencing, or sailing.
If you and your spouse love living on the wild side, try a more extreme hobby like white water rafting, skydiving, rock climbing or drag racing. Drag racing is an exhilarating sport that helps relieve pent-up stress. Around the country, there are weekend drag races happening where cars race at speeds up to 115 mph. To equip your car, make sure it has the proper safety features and high-quality equipment. Then, fulfill your need for speed and some healthy competition by racing against each other.
Find Your Zen
Practicing yoga or meditation with your spouse is an effective way to center yourselves and find your calm. Many yoga studios offer classes for couples yoga, which increase the communication and sensitivity in your relationship.
Couples meditation is a powerful way to relax together on a daily-basis and can also come in handy during times of conflict. If you are new to meditating, there are several mobile apps that provide you with guided meditation sessions that you can practice with your loved one.
Take a Mini-Vacation
Not feeling the road tripping vibe? There are loads of last-minute vacation discounts online. Find one and go somewhere really spectacular. Traveling together is a great bonding experience.
Google Flights and Skyscanner have handy map tools that can help you find the cheapest flight. If your destination is open-ended — i.e., “anywhere with a beach” — use the map to pick the most economical locale.
A travel app I love is Very Chic, which offers curated last-minute deals if you need a romantic place to stay tonight, tomorrow or within the next couple of months. While some deals – especially in the US – are not so good, it can deliver deep discounts in Europe and the UK. BluByn is a new app with a personal concierge that will help you find the best travel deals from across the internet. Here’s a list of more great travel apps.
So take your adventurous spirit, your active lifestyle, and your insatiable curiosity and use those traits to explore and revamp your relationship. Ready. Set. Go!
When things are not going well in a sexual or romantic relationship, it can really help if both partners try to understand why.
This makes me realize that I miss spending time with hubs. Eversince we had kids we barely had the time to be romantic towards each other. It’s either we’re working or taking care of the kids. It’s very important to keep in mind that as couples, you need to spend time as couples too. Other than communication, spending time together is also key to a great relationship. Never forget to spend at least a day of bonding time. Find ways to be intimate with each other no matter how busy your schedule is.
This is important, I swear. Even if you have kids, never ever forget this.?
Communicate. Hear what your significant other has to say without interrupting,this will take your partner off of defensive and make it easier for him to hear your thoughts and feelings.
All of it sounds fun. But I think we’d prefer to go on a vacation for two instead.
If you think your relationship has a dimming flame, I don’t think this is the first solution you’d think of.
Interesting activities. Just wanted to add water sports as well. Like finding a good scuba diving spot or surfing.
I love the part where the article says something about making memories. This is a good thought to keep in mind because you’re going to be wired to think that happiness is a normal thing for both of you. It’s not because you’re trying to keep the relationship stable.
Relationships can get stale if you’re always too comfortable about monotonous habits. Even as an individual, you tend to get tired of old habits and sometimes you just want to experience something new. It’s the same for relationships. You may start to feel neglected or that your partner isn’t exerting enough effort into showing his affection just because the two of you have daily habits that are always the same. Even if it’s just once or twice a month, find something new to incorporate into old habits. Your partner will appreciate this gesture.?
Don’t expect your partner to change, but at the same time give them more of what they want. Both of you should focus on giving one another more of what you know the other person wants, even if it doesn’t come naturally.
There are a lot of ways to keep your relationship exciting and it’s not just this. I know that there are a lot of people (like me) who don’t necessarily enjoy drag racing or whatsoever. Ladies, it can be as simple as eating on a fancy restaurant or going on a movie date. Something that’s a little more relaxing like a vacation or camping near the beach is also great. My husband and I love staying at home but it’s nice to see new places sometimes. Lying under the stars is also nice.?
Great ideas, thanks!