Can Exercise Break Up A Relationship?
By Lexi Petronis, Glamour magazine
Do you crawl out of bed at the crack of dawn for a big workout, coming home only after your significant other has left for work? Does he? If so, you might want to take a look at the emergence of the "exercise widow"...
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, therapists are seeing more couples come in for counseling due to exercise. Specifically: one-half of the couple is in constant physical training and it's causing major cracks in the relationship.
Apparently, the non-training half of the couple often feels resentful of the time spent away while training. There's also an insecurity risk, reports WSJ: "If one partner gets a new, buff appearance and a new circle of buff acquaintances, romantic possibilities can open up-and give the other spouse good reason to feel insecure about his or her own physique."
But it's not all doom and gloom. Some couples start training together (which I think sounds awesome), or the non-training partner volunteers at the competing partner's tournaments and races--for support.
This article is specific to intense exercise, but relationships could certainly feel strained when half of the couple is passionate about something else, too, no? Achieving the perfect bowling score, writing a novel that sells, acing "Plants vs. Zombies" (okay, not acing "Plants vs. Zombies." Though it is extremely addicting).
Who exercises more--you or your significant other? Does it cause any stress? Do you ever work out together?
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
