Could Boosting Your Health Boost Your Relationship Too?

​Could boosting your health boost your relationship too?

Over the past year, I have gone on a journey to focus on boosting my health, mind and body. However, I haven’t been on this journey alone, thankfully. I had my partner in life, love and crime with me - my husband, by my side, on his own journey as well to a healthier life.
 
As anyone knows, marriage and relationships can go through ups and downs, but it’s how you go through these as a team that makes a lasting relationship strong. We are Team Paulsen in my house. Me and my husband, standing side by side, having each other’s backs down to the end. Whatever hellfire may come; natural disasters, war or the complete meltdown of a kid – it’s us against the world.

Now, when we first got married, I tried to be a good wife and show off my cooking skills. I moved around a lot growing up, but lived in the southern region during my teenage and young adult years – so that’s how I learned to cook. If you don’t know much about the south and cooking – let’s just say the south is known for fried anything, buttery and cheesy goodness – just for starters. So, I can fry like no one’s business, and since my hubby was busy working and going to school – he ate what I cooked. And I cooked what I wanted to eat – think in terms of the eating habits of a 5-year-old let loose.
 
Over the years, his health deteriorated as his waist line grew. He was under the age of 30 when he first went to the ER with heart palpitations and a doctor put him on heart medication that he was on for years. He developed his own food addiction and various other health problems that doctors continued to give him pills for.
 
We knew as a couple and as a family that we needed to change our health in a huge way if we wanted to fix our medical problems. With our pill boxes full, we made a choice together to make health a priority and a non-negotiable. To be completely honest and transparent, it was more my husband with me kicking and screaming like a child being pulled towards the vegetables instead of the candy shop.
 
It was my husband that got me to step foot into a gym and into lifting weights after 30 years of avoiding the gym like the plague. Ladies – listen up – if you aren’t lifting weights – you should be. Trust me – the benefits are unbelievable.
 
My husband and I focus on our health, food and fitness as a team. We motivate each other when the other needs it and help rationalize with the other person as to why they really don’t want that extra treat. We are accountability partners and help each other stay focused on the goals that we have with our health and our life.
 
Having health and fitness as a common goal has been proven to strengthen emotional bonds and relationships in couples. Getting your significant other involved in boosting your health has many positive side effects such as having a feeling more connected with your partner, increased happiness in your relationship and you learn to work as a team. Plus – let’s just say your sex life will get its own boost as well (wink wink).
 
How can you get your significant other involved? Lead with love – I REPEAT – LEAD WITH LOVE. Tell them all the things that you love about them and then peak their interest by what you are doing and why. Then, just lead by example and tell them you would love if they would join in. Don’t wait to start until they are ready, just start and leave the door open for them anytime they want to join.
 
For myself and my husband, making our health and fitness a team journey has boosted our relationship in amazing ways. It has strengthened not only our bodies, but our marriage as well. After an amazing 9 years of marriage, over 120lbs lost between us and now on 0 prescriptions medications – it was a huge game changer in not only our health, but our relationship.
 
SIDE-NOTE: DO NOT go off any medications without checking with your doctor. Before you start any health and fitness regimen, you should check with your doctor and make a health plan together.
 
Remember…
Life is What You Choose
 
XO Renea