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!
I’m enjoying my relationship with my partner and I don’t think I will ever stop enjoying it. I think it’s not good to feel like your relationship is taking the wrong turn because there isn’t much going on.
I think our expectations in relationships ruins it all. We always expect it to be enjoyable, exciting, and full of adventure. It’s not always like that though and that’s just the way it is. I think this article just wants to remind us that even if marriage isn’t all about being fun and all, we have to make the most out of it and that we have to find time to enjoy ourselves as a couple. Married life can be very challenging but we have to overcome its obstacles by working together.
I also think of it the same way. I think it’s a little weird to always want an exciting relationship because it just doesn’t sound so real.
My partner and I are both introverts, so our idea of fun is different. We play video games together as bonding time and we even try to buy one new game every month or so, depending on the awesome releases. FUN! ?
It’s funny because my hubby said that yoga is just for ladies so we tried MMA instead. I think it’s fun because I can learn self-defense and at the same time, my hubby loved the thought of mixed martial arts instead of yoga.
My husband and I have 3 kids but we always hire a babysitter whenever the two of us feel the need to go out and have some alone time. I don’t think it’s selfish to want alone time when you already have kids. We get burned out too sometimes and a family can only stay together forever if we take the time to keep in mind that marriage is still a relationship that needs to be kindled. Even if it’s just a few times a month, my husband and I have dinner dates or we do something special within the day.
This is why a lot of relationships fail. Couples don’t work hard enough to keep the flames burning.
I really wish that my husband and I could have enough time to even travel. We usually just eat in a restaurant but since we have kids that we can’t leave just so we can travel, it’s very hard for us to do something like this.
My hubs and I love going to the spa during the weekends. We feel so refreshed after that and we just chill at home after. It’s not a big thing compared to what Hilary and her husband does but it’s important for us.?❤️
Hey, don’t worry too much if it’s not as extravagant as what other couples do. What matters is that you both enjoy each other’s company and that you enjoy your relationship.?
This made me re-think my current relationship. Relationship needs time, effort, effort, and effort. You can’t really expect it to work without lifting a finger. Relationships are a big deal and marriage is x10 a bigger deal. Most people don’t see the weight of that but if you really value relationships, you’ll see how it’s not very easy to keep the flames burning. Others will say that when you’re in love, you don’t really have to make an effort, but that’s wrong. You make an effort no matter what.
It’s amazing because it’s my significant other that tells me that we should do something like this together. He said that it’s great if we take the time to bond because he misses me.