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!
To relive the feeling of falling in love, you’ve got to find new ways to trigger that rush of feel-good dopamine and oxytocin, like by incorporating novelty, excitement, and surprise into your not-so-new-anymore relationship.
But it’s not easy. ?
It is important to address problems and misunderstandinngs immediately. Some people believe good relationships happen naturally. The truth is that, good relationship, like anything you want to succeed in life, must be worked on and tended to on a regular basis. Neglect relationship and it will often go downhill. ?
It’s confusing sometimes why they suddenly turn cold, right?
There’s no substitute for shared quality time. When you make a point of being together, without kids, pets and other interruptions, you will form a bond that will get you through life’s rough spots. Time spent together should be doing a shared activity, not just watching television.
When you’ve been in a relationship for a long time, it’s easy to focus on the negative, which can lead to nagging, hurt feelings, and dissatisfaction on both sides. Instead, try to focus more on the good things and less on the bad. ?
Girls should never nag a man because they hate it.
An excellent way to rekindle your relationship is to reminisce about when you two first met. Talking about the moment you first saw each other can bring back those old butterflies. ?
When you fall into habits in relationship, you may take for granted the nice things your partner routinely does for you. And even if you notice them, do you let him or her know you’re thankful? Gratitude is important.
I always appreciate my partner, to make him feel that I’m thankful and I like what he does for me.
Marriage is about giving, but don’t make the mistake of giving too much. ?
With everything going on in the lives of the average couple, it’s easy to forget the small gestures that keeps a relationship ticking. What couples don’t realize though, is that it doesn’t take much to help your partner feel more valued every day. Appreciation goes a long way as a motivator.
When we’re feeling disconnected and unfulfilled in our relationships, we often believe that we need something more from the other person.
If work and family obligations have forced you and your partner to put your love life on the back burner, schedule some time off from your regular responsibilities. Getting away may help you focus on each other instead of distractions like the bathroom that needs repairs, but even a staycation or a long weekend at home, if you treat it right can be enough to refresh your bond.?
Good tip! Every couple must have some quality time alone away from everything.