Exercise produces the following benefits: Feeling calm and tranquil, increasing self esteem, improving physical appearance, increasing physical and mental strength, decreasing stress and a means of working through emotional pain.
Couples can exercise together doing one or more of the following: Playing tennis, hiking, cycling, walking, swimming, or even bowling.
These shared activities will:
• Help couples add to what they already have in common.
Relationships deteriorate when there is not much common interest. This results in decreased time spent together and many moments of silence when they are in the same room. In order for a relationship to flourish, it is important for couples to have common interests. They can spend quality time participating as a couple in their sport and then talk about the excitement it brings when they are relaxing.
• Enable both partners to be at a high energy level.
Exercise itself brings about a much higher energy level than being sedentary. When both partners are experiencing this rush, they can feed off each other’s energy. This will allow them to complete more tasks together and separately.
• Improved Communication.
Exercise improves your self-esteem and confidence. While you are working out together, you can both find the inner strength to bring up issues that may be too difficult to face while inactive. One partner may find the appropriate words to discuss issues that really bother you about the relationship. It is possible to not only address these problems, but find the means to resolve them.
• Enhance your sex life.
Studies have shown that exercise does indeed improve your sex life. It increases your desire and feelings of wanting connection with one that you love the most. Exercise helps you get in touch with your body; you discover how wonderful it is to live in your body rather than being imprisoned only in your head. This mutual discovery of the physical can move into the deep spiritual.
• Increase joy in your relationship.
Exercise, by raising serotonin levels, improves mood and you can experience this mood elevation together. This will increase the amount of time where you are in a joyful space and you can share these moments.
• Allow partners to reach a sense of well being at the same time.
We all hear talk about how important it is for the couple to be on the same page. Exercising together will bring about the possibility of this occurring. Not only will you be on the same page in terms of planning your future; you can also learn to live in the present together where you can bask in each other’s glow and not worry about tomorrow.
The dream of Valentine’s Day is that you will find true love. Exercising with your partner can make this dream a reality.
Points and Prizes Keyword: HIKING worth 50 points good through 02/17/08.

Psychotherapist Bob Livingstone has helped millions heal their emotional pain during the past twenty years. He has been instrumental in assisting victims of emotional and/or physical violence recover from trauma and no longer be victims. He is a featured contributor to DrLaura.com, Beliefnet.com, Ediets.com, Selfgrowth.com and SheKnows.com. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book The Body-Mind-Soul Solution: Healing Emotional Pain through Exercise (Pegasus Books, Sept. 2007). For more emotional healing visit 
