BYU: Couples Who Exercise Together Communicate Better — SkimNews
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- Brigham Young University researchers found couples who exercised together reported better communication, more effective conflict resolution, and less marital stress than those who did not share physical activity, per the study published in Family Relations.
- Jeremy Yorgason, BYU School of Family Life professor, led the study with co-author Ashlyn Hiatt Mildenhall, who first joined the project as an undergraduate researcher at BYU.
- The study drew on survey responses from nearly 1,700 young married couples enrolled in the nationally representative CREATE study, which has tracked newlyweds across the U.S. for more than a decade.
- About 60% of spouses in the sample said they exercised, but only about a third worked out together—meaning roughly half of those who exercise were active without their spouse, Yorgason said.
- Walking was the most common shared activity reported, suggesting couples may not need gym memberships or equipment to see the relationship benefits.
- Of the three relationship outcomes measured—communication, conflict resolution, and marital stress—exercise had the biggest impact on communication, according to Mildenhall.
- Yorgason characterized the effect as 'small but significant' and emphasized that conjoint exercise is not a relationship cure, but one of several habits that can give couples regular opportunities to connect.
Why it matters: For the roughly one-third of young married couples in the study who exercised together, the activity correlated with measurably better communication and conflict resolution—suggesting an accessible, low-cost habit may give couples a small but consistent edge. Researchers caution the effect is modest and not a substitute for addressing deeper relationship issues, especially for couples raising young children.
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