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!
At first I got really scared because I also felt that my husband and I’s relationship are falling apart. But after a few days of alone time and bonding, I’d like to think that our relationship became deeper and stronger. Maybe sometimes that’s what we all need.?
I loved this article!! Such sweet and caring tips, feel like your an older sister giving advice ?❤️
My hubbie still buys me flowers. On some days, he would even wake up earlier than me just to cook breakfast for us. I think I’m very lucky to have him. Even in the mornings while we have our coffee, I know we’re both enjoying our relationship.
Great tips for making your relationship fresh again ! You are always full of the greatest ideas. Love you, girl!
What should you do if a relationship is still young? If you don’t see that person often and you both are constantly busy how do you spark back into it?
How can i reignite the spark in a long distance relationship . He does love me but he had stopped expressing it . He used to express alot but now it hurts me . Help me please
If you’re both introverts, don’t forget that you can still have movie nights and dinner dates at home. My husband and I actually love food delivery and we actually consider those nights as our cheat day. Not that we always eat unhealthy but we find it fun to just eat our hearts out and talk all night. Bonding time isn’t always extreme sports and travel. It can be as simple as going to the park or enjoying old movies in the couch. Try your best to fit these moments to your schedule.
Wow! Thank you so much for this article, Hilary. These are very useful tips how to keep a long term relationship very fresh.
My partner is breaking up with me and I don’t know what to do. Please help me. I don’t want our two year relationship to come to an end. Please.
My boyfriend and I have dating for 8 months and lately things have been really rocky but neither one of us want to break up. He said he needs some space that I’m smothering him. what should I do?