Sports and romance might not sound like a marriage made in heaven. Sports is all about competition and the drive to succeed, whereas successful romantic relationships are driven by empathy and cooperation. While both of those statements are true to some degree, sports impact relationships can be very healthy and even provide a cheat code to help us get closer to our partners. Let’s look at the science to see how sports can boost our relationships, and vice versa.
Sports Get the Heart Pumping
Love and attraction is something we can feel in our hearts, our stomachs, and most definitely regions even further south. But love is also a chemical. Sex releases oxytocin, a chemical that helps fight pain and makes us feel blissful in the company of another. While not quite as extreme, the sport also releases many of the brain’s natural feel-good chemicals, known as endorphins. In addition, one of the side effects of sports includes the release of adrenaline, which we feel like a boost to our blood pressure and an increased heart rate. In other words, many of the same responses our bodies produce when sexually aroused. Playing sports with a partner or exercising together gets the juices pumping and makes both parties feel good in each other’s company. Who knows? It could inspire you to find other ways to feel good together while working up a sweat.
The Effects of Sports on Emotional Health
Sports have been proven to positively affect sufferers of depression, and one of the main effects of sports on mental health is to relieve stress and boost our moods. This, in turn, leads to better self-esteem and more confidence, both physically and emotionally. If you’ve ever visited dating sites, you can tell pretty easily who the lifelong athletes are by how comfortable they are showing their bodies. When we feel low moods or unhappiness in a relationship, our partners can not only tell, but they will also absorb our energy and can feel down themselves. When a couple plays or works out together, sports psychology’s effects means everyone feels better and less stressed. Less stress means fewer fights and more harmonious romantic engagement and a more fulfilling relationship for everyone. The bottom line? The couple that plays together stays together.
Related: The Pros And Cons Of Being In A Relationship With An Athlete
People Exercise Better Together
We’ve seen the positive effects that sports can have on our love lives, but the benefits flow both ways. As well as being more fun, exercising with others tends to be more effective than lone workouts. Partnering with your significant other on shared fitness goals creates accountability. Accountability means both of you will have someone to motivate and encourage you to:
- Hit your shared fitness or weight loss goals.
- Push your workouts further.
- Avoid the temptation to defer exercise till later on.
Conclusion: Sports Can Make Workouts Romantic
Playing sports and working out together lets couples spend quality time together, and the effects of sports on your brains and bodies will have both of you feeling great about yourself and each other. You’ll feel more confident and both attractive and attracted to each other. And we haven’t even started on how great sex feels after exercise. Have sports improved your love life? Let us know in the comments section below.
Author’s bio:
Miranda Davis is a freelance writer in the relation and psychology area. Miranda is interested in such topics as building healthy relationships between people, love/sex compatibility, and how to find the right balance in life in general. She is currently doing specific research on the topic. Miranda loves cooking and long-distance walking.
