How Taking Walks With Your Partner Can Improve Your Relationship

Whether your relationship with your partner is new or you've been together for a few years, there can be moments where one of you wonders how comfortable is too comfortable based on the routine you've developed. Managing different work schedules and kids, if you're parents, can unintentionally pull you in different directions. Unfortunately, trying to manage the moving parts of your lives can cause distance between you and your partner. This can look like barely having enough time to focus on each other or how your day was. But it doesn't mean all hope is lost.

One way you and your partner can get back on track is by having a relationship check-in with each other. It can help you assess things you need to talk about while rebuilding your connection. If you don't know where to begin, you can try making time for each other by taking daily or weekly walks. Not only does this count as a form of exercise, but it gives you and your partner the space to focus on reconnecting.

Do you remember the things that made you fall in love with your partner? Maybe it was their charismatic smile or uncanny ability to make you laugh without trying. As amazing as these things are, sometimes you can forget to focus on them after a while. There's a good chance that it's not intentional, but no one is immune to the ebbs and flows of relationships while living their lives. 

Things such as commuting to work, where you often spend a certain amount of time inside a vehicle, can make you feel like you always have to be on the go. But taking walks with your partner gives both of you the space to slow down and take in the moments you're spending together. As a result, you can begin expressing appreciation and gratitude for each other. In an interview with Self, relationship and family therapist Juliana Hauser, Ph.D. states, "Getting back to a place where you show your partner more gratitude on a consistent basis is a game-changer for intimacy and increased connection in a relationship over time."

According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 40% of the people surveyed have an issue with how often their partner is on their phone. You or your partner may be able to relate to this, especially if one of you is trying to have a conversation you feel is important and the other can't look up from their screen. As useful as cell phones are, they can also cause a distraction when you or your partner are supposed to be paying attention to each other. If this has caused disagreements, you can implement a rule where you and your partner aren't allowed to look at your phones while taking a walk. 

Being free from this distraction allows you and your partner to actually communicate in a way where both of you listen to understand instead of responding half-heartedly. You may find that you discover new things about each other that haven't been discussed before because you're in a space where you feel safe being vulnerable.