Continue reading Diet & Exercise As A Couple Couples that diet and exercise together get better results than trying to go at it alone. I recently entered a “Biggest Loser” competition at work. When my wife found out she decided that dieting and exercise was a good idea and since I was starting than it was a good time for her to start as well. Neither of us are obese, but most of us can stand to lose a few pounds and treat our bodies to a more balanced and healthier diet. I know, New Years and weight loss/exercising resolutions abound. Every year we mean to change things and every year we all join a gym and pay twelve months dues only to show up for two months. The great american way. This year try doing it together, not as
separate entities but truly together. Since both of us are trying to eat better, than our meals are always healthier and portion control is now carefully watched by the eyes across from the dinner table and your will power now has an assistant. That makes it much easier since you no longer have to just answer to yourself when you ask for thirds.

Somewhere I read that if both lovers are in agreement on dieting and exercise, than it has more of a chance of sticking. If only one person is dieting, it can lead to jealousy and contemt by the other person. It may not be an overt smack down fight but sooner or later the signs will start to show. The one not dieting will tend to try and sabatoge the others heathier mindset and workout routine. Meanwhile, the dieter will come across as having a “holier than thou” attitude and will seem to cast a shadow of guilt over the other person on how they eat and their lack of exercise. Although these accusations are probably not well grounded and is not meant to be mean spirited, the human intellect will plant the seed of discontent in your brain.

Get together and talk about living a healthier 2012. Focus on eating better together; focus on exercising together. If weights isn’t your thing, who cares. Join a place where you can swim together. Much of these clubs are now family friendly, so if need be you can bring the kids. Bike together, jog together, play tennis together, do something, just do it together. As we all have experienced, our lack of motivation will snowball into the end of your resolution. Motivate and encourage each other and work through the rough days. On the plus side, when we feel better about ourselves physically it shows and translates to body confidence and, more than likely, more intimacy with our partners. Happy New Year!

Continue reading Working Out and Intimacy Many experts and doctors believe that couples that work out and exercise have more frequent and better intimate encounters with each other.  Most of my readers could vouch for that in their households and it seemed especially true when they worked out together.  That got me to wonder if this phenomenon goes back to the sweat dripping bodies dispensing hormones and awakening our inner beast or do we just feel better about our bodies which causes us to be more uninhibited and sexual.  That thought forced me to pose the question, is the exercise and intimacy connection a physical attribute or a mental process?  Just like most things I believe it is a mixture of both attributes.

When we work out, physically our bodies are in better shape.  Blood flows better, we feel better and most importantly, we get an influx of energy that seems to last much longer than when we are sedentary.  Think about the following statement for a minute and see if it sounds true about your life.  When we are relatively sedentary we get home from work or we spend all day with the kids and when everything seems to finally settle down at night what happens?  Right, we don’t want to do anything but to go to sleep or to just lay and not be bothered, especially by our sex craving spouse.  When we exercise and work out we have a propensity to be more energetic throughout the day.  When we exercise regularly our bodies are not as tired and we have more stamina.  Adding all these factors together means that we are more apt to want to spend the night hours performing intimate exercises with our spouses instead of just lounging out on the coach and ignoring our time alone together.  Of course it is ok to want to relax from time to time as well; I’m talking about those relationships where neither exercise nor intimacy has much of an existence.

Mentally, exercising makes us feel better about ourselves.  We become confident and more willing to show others how great our bodies are.  There is more blood flow into the brain for better thought and we become more in love with ourselves.  I’m not talking about the egotistical pompous self love but a healthy respect for our own bodies.  With this confidence and self respect we smile more and make others around us feel better.  I think that this comfort level with our bodies increases our inner sexiness and we just fall in love with making love.  And like with many things, the more you do it and enjoy it the more you want to do it and enjoy it.  Human naturally like to feel good!!!

We all know that exercising is good for your health but it has other benefits as well.  More exercising and better health means more intimate times with our special loved one which in turn creates a happier marriage for both of you.  After all, sex and intimacy plays a major role in long and happy marriages.  I don’t know of too many couples who are happily married for a long time who are not regularly intimate with one another.