Falling in love doesn’t require an endless parade of dinners and drinks dates. And if you your honey have long been in love and you’ve fallen into a Netflix-and-takeout rut, er, routine, it’s high time you put down the General Tso and tried something new. The new year calls for a fresh approach to your tried and true dating paradigms with activities that make you feel vibrantly alive — together.
Being more active together isn’t just good for your own health, it’s good for the vitality of the relationship. Research suggests that couples who do new activities together are happier with their relationships. It might be that keeping date night fresh and exciting reminds them of the early days in a relationship with everything was fresh and exciting. In other words, these dates will keep you and your love happier longer. We’ve got ten reasons for you to give something new a try.
Go bowling
When’s the last time you laced up some color-block oxfords and threw a bowling ball down the glossy lane? It’s high time to give it another try.
Explore the farmer’s market
Wander the stalls to find the most gorgeous radishes, freshest eggs, and dark, lustrous greens. Then head home to whip up a meal together. One of you puts on the tunes while the other one starts chopping.
Hit the dance floor
Many clubs will offer an hour or so of free instruction before the dance floor opens up — often with live music — for couples wanting to Texas two-step, line dance, or swing. Or you could sign up for lessons at a dance studio and make it a regular, standing appointment.
Stay in bed
Don’t get out to work up a sweat and feel close — stay in. Sex boosts your mood, burns calories, lowers blood pressure, bolsters your immune system and reduces stress. But that’s not why you really want to do it, we know.
Go for massages
Maybe you want to get out of bed but you don’t want to do much. Book side-by-side couples’ massages for the ultimate in parallel relaxation. Back at home, when you’re in less of a splurgy mood, you can practice the moves on each other.
Take a cooking lesson
Learning something new together is an exciting shared experience. The added bonus is that then you will be able to more properly serve as sous chefs for each other (julienned carrots? coming right up) or seduce one another with a saucy ribollita on the next blustery winter night.
Be more playful
By playing games! Cards, crosswords, and board games are cheap, easy to get into, and help ward off cognitive decline so you can grow old together. Awww.
Catch a comedy show
It really is the best medicine. A big laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, leaving you with a calm, relaxed feeling (think, like, post yoga-vibe but with a bigger smile).
Cupid, draw back your bow
Not all sports when sweating it out. Stand shoulder-to-shoulder to learn archery, visit a driving range, batting cage, or shooting range. A little friendly competition never hurt to stoke the fires of romance, and you’ll have lots to talk about when you get home.
Go vegan
Ok, so sometimes you do want to dress up and go out for a dinner date. Instead of gut-bomb Mexican or splitting your usual pepperoni pizza (and then unbuttoning your pants side-by-side back home on the couch), check out a trendy, fine dining vegan restaurant and romance each other over the plant-based cuisine.
Who knew decadent romance could make you feel so good?
