Couples who exercise together report better communication, healthier conflict resolution, and lower marital stress than those who work out alone. Even something as simple as taking a walk together may create valuable opportunities to talk, listen, and feel more connected. Scientists say this simple habit could strengthen your marriage.
Scientists say this simple habit could strengthen your marriage Science News from research organizations Scientists say this simple habit could strengthen your marriage Working out together, even with a simple walk, may help couples communicate better, handle conflict more peacefully, and strengthen their marriage. New research from BYU suggests it may also offer benefits for marriage, particularly when spouses are active together. The study, recently published in Family Relations, found that couples who exercised together reported better communication, more effective conflict resolution and less marital stress than couples who did not share physical activity.
The research was led by BYU School of Family Life professor Jeremy Yorgason with co-author Ashlyn Hiatt Mildenhall, who first became involved in the project as an undergraduate researcher at BYU. "Our findings suggest that conjoint exercise facilitates, in a small but significant way, the ability to resolve conflict peacefully," Yorgason said. "People reported more positive outcomes in communication and conflict resolution when they exercised together." Exercising Together Shows Stronger Relationship Benefits To investigate the connection between exercise and marriage, researchers examined survey responses from nearly 1,700 young married couples enrolled in the nationally representative Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study.
The BYU project has tracked newly married couples throughout the United States for more than a decade.
