We know exercise is good for the heart, the brain and mood. A new study from Brigham Young University (BYU) asks a different question: is it good for a marriage, and does it matter whether you sweat side by side?
The study
Researchers Ashlyn Mildenhall, Matthew Núñez and Jeremy Yorgason analyzed survey data from 1,693 young married couples in the CREATE project, a nationally representative U.S. study that follows newlyweds over time. At least one partner was between 18 and 36 when the study began, and most couples married in 2014. The results were published in the journal Family Relations.
Couples reported what kind of physical activity they did and whether they did it with their spouse. They also answered standard questionnaires about communication, how they resolve conflict and how severe their conflicts get.
What they found
- About 60% of husbands and wives exercised, but only around one-third exercised together.
- Couples who exercised, together or separately, reported better communication and conflict resolution and less conflict than couples who didn’t exercise.
- Exercising together showed somewhat stronger links, especially for communication.
- Walking was among the most common shared activities, which needs no gym membership or equipment.
Yorgason described the effect of exercising together as small but significant for helping couples resolve conflict peacefully, and very consistent across the outcomes they measured.
The catch
This is a snapshot taken at a single point in time, so it can’t show that exercise causes better communication. Happier couples may simply be more likely to go for walks together. The difference between exercising together and exercising separately was not statistically significant in the full analysis, according to a detailed write-up of the paper. The study also didn’t measure how often, how long or how hard people exercised, and the sample leaned toward middle-income couples with some college education.
The takeaway
Treat this as a nice bonus, not a prescription. If you and a partner already struggle to find time, there’s no need to force joint workouts. But if an after-dinner walk fits your schedule, it gets you moving and gives you time to talk. On the evidence so far, that’s a reasonable trade.
This article is for general information, not medical advice.
More on Contoh
- Do You Really Need 10,000 Steps a Day? What the Research Says
- Taking the Stairs Is a Small Habit With a Big Research Footprint
- A 20-Minute Walk Got the Gut Moving Within Minutes in a Small Study