Couples who exercise together communicate better, US study finds

Couples who exercise together communicate better and resolve conflicts more easily, according to a study by Brigham Young University (BYU) in the United States published in the journal Family Relations. Researchers Ashlyn Mildenhall, Matthew Núñez and Jeremy Yorgason analysed responses from nearly 1,700 young married couples in the nationally representative CREATE study, which has followed newlyweds for more than a decade.

About 60% of spouses said they exercised, but only about a third did so together with their partner. Walking was the most common shared activity. Both individual and shared exercise were linked to healthier marriages, but the association was consistently stronger for shared activity – with better communication, more effective conflict resolution and less marital stress. "Out of all three outcomes, exercise had the biggest impact on communication," Mildenhall said.

The effect "is not necessarily large, it is very consistent," Yorgason said. The authors stress that the data show an association, not proof of cause and effect: it is unclear whether exercise improves relationships or happier couples simply exercise more. Shared exercise is not a fix for every relationship problem, the researchers caution.