Try these nine couple activities to develop a healthy and happy relationship. That exhilarating feeling of being in love is the best start to a relationship. But how can you make your relationship last? Realizing that relationships take work is the first step to maintaining a healthy and happy life together. The best part? It can be easy and fun to keep your relationship strong! Check out these activities to strengthen your relationship and enjoy a long-lasting life together.

1. Exercise together.

Exercise is a great way to spend quality time together and develop healthy lifestyle habits. Exercise also produces endorphins that give a natural “high.” By boosting your overall mood, you will both be happier mentally as well as physically. When you work out together, you also function as a support system to your partner—supporting their fitness goals and providing encouragement. Strengthen your relationship with exercise by building a healthy foundation!

2. Organize an activity day every week.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the busyness of life and forget to spend time with your partner. Make time for one another and schedule an “activity date” on your calendar. Schedule a couples’ activity day every week—whether it’s a spontaneous decide-that-day kind of activity or a planned something. When you make time for each other, you will maintain a strong connection. Activity days let you have fun together and communicate on a deeper level. If you have kids, it’s an opportunity to reconnect as a couple and keep the romance alive. Here are some easy and budget-friendly couple activity ideas:

• Take a bike ride through a park.
• Picnic by a lake.
• See a movie, followed by dinner.
• Bring board games to a local brewery.
• Relax inside with a wine and charcuterie night.
• Try something daring like indoor skydiving.
• Be a kid again and have silly fun at the arcade!
• BBQ and play cornhole. #collegethrowback
• Binge a Netflix show with pizza.
• Hit every local drive-through and see which one has the best cheeseburger.
• Attend a PGA golf tournament.
• See a special exhibit at your science or art museum.
• Take a class together, like a cooking class, cocktail mixology class, or a foreign language class. Put your skills to use and host a party for friends or go on a trip to Europe!

3. Surprise your S.O. with love notes and love letters.

Who says life can’t be like a rom-com? Leave little gifts full of loving messages for your partner to find! Love notes and love letters are easy and simple ways to be romantic and make any day special. Hide a sweet note in their lunch bag, gym bag, briefcase, or stick it on their computer screen. If you want to put your romancing over the top, give them a personalized book about love that you can customize with “I love you” messages and favorite couple photos. Your loving couples gift will be treasured forever!

4. Switch roles weekly to manage chores…or to spice up the bedroom!

Take turns performing chores or tasks to mix things up. Both of you will have equal participation and responsibility in the relationship. This way, one partner doesn’t have the burden of doing it all. Plus it’s fun to switch up your roles! If your partner usually cooks, try taking on the cooking duties for a day or a week. If you usually clean the house or do most of the driving, pass on that role to your partner. This topsy-turvy role play can also spice up the bedroom.  

5. Handle change (physical, emotional, mental) as a team.

Being in a relationship means change is inevitable. As you and your partner grow old together, you will see physical and emotional changes. Stretch marks, weight gain, beer bellies, bald spots, and gray hair are some of the changes you will see—whether they are from aging, pregnancy, stress or other life events. Take on these changes as a team, supporting each other with positive talk. Instead of putting your partner on blast for gaining weight, suggest a workout program or healthy meal plan you can do together. Teamwork is key to a healthy and happy relationship.

6. Laugh together every day.

Laughter will make you feel happier and closer as a couple. Bring up a fun story, anecdote, or memory every day that will make you laugh. The saying “laughter is the best medicine” does have its truth. Laughing closes the distance gap between you, letting you share in fun moments together.

7. Let the fights happen and address them with healthy communication.

Don’t avoid getting into fights, or your resentment will build up into a blow-out. Small fights let you address issues and move forward. When you do fight, communicate with honesty and try to see your partner’s side. Fighting can lead to a better understanding of your partner. When you learn to communicate and compromise, you develop a healthier relationship.

8. Stay intimate in your relationship.

Kissing, hugging, holding hands and, of course, having sex at least once a week will help maintain a healthy, happy relationship. Be bold and initiate intimacy in your relationship. You can never have too much skin-to-skin contact!

9. Go on adventures together.

Travel. Road trip. Take a vacation to the beach, the forest, or to another country! Couples’ vacations are perfect for experiencing new things and growing together. And you don’t have to break the budget either. Camp in your backyard or have a staycation at a nearby bed and breakfast. Vacations are essential life experiences. Make memories you will treasure for years to come.

We hope these nine activities for couples will help you build or strengthen a healthy, happy relationship!

Resources:

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-ways-keep-your-relationship-happy-and-healthy.html