Kristen Houghton

Relationship Examiner
Kristen Houghton is an award-winning writer whose work has been called, "fresh, insightful, sharp, and sexy-funny! She is a contributing relationship expert for Public Radio. Excerpts from her new book, And Then I'll Be Happy! can be found at www.kristenhoughton.com

  

Examiner Feeds

These websites were picked by the Relationship Examiner as useful resources.
CBS News Health and Relationships - 1 hr 34 mins ago Fox news - 5 hrs ago Fox news - 5 hrs ago ABC News - 6 hrs ago CBS News Health and Relationships - 6 hrs ago

Meet Kristen Houghton, Your National Relationship Examiner

LISTEN TO KRISTEN HOUGHTON ON HGRNJ

Your National Relationship Examiner Recommends

Healthy, Happy Relationships

Online Dating

National Relationship Examiner Links

Relationships in the News

Finding Mr./Ms. Right

Most Popular TV Relationship Shows

Celebrity Relationships in the News

National Examiners

Gaby Cora
Workplace Health Examiner
Most Recent Post
Young doctors leading under pressure
Jay McDonough
Progressive Politics Examiner
Most Recent Post
The General Motors plan
Michele Lerner
Residential Real Estate Examiner
Most Recent Post
Foreclosure crisis worsened by fine print in contracts
 
 

(i.e. Los Angeles hiking, Los Angeles parenting)

Showing entries for Category: exercise


I Promised to Grow Old With You Not Obese!

October 6, 6:48 PM
by Kristen Houghton, Relationship Examiner
 
 

University researchers who study obesity have found that married couples gain more weight as the years of marriage progress. On average, a couple married ten years weighs fifteen to twenty pounds more than they did on their wedding day. There are two specific reasons for this. One is that they develop a style of eating that has become a bonding experience for them. The second reason is that few couples do even moderate exercise, either together or individually.

Contrary to the “beautiful couples” we see on magazine covers, the average couple falls into the category of mild to morbid obesity. Besides contributing to health problems, the weight can make us feel unattractive and sluggish. There are activities we may want to do as a couple but with the extra weight, we’re too lethargic to do them.

If you can’t bring yourself to make life changes in eating and exercise for yourself, you might consider doing it as a gift to your spouse. Do it together. Helping your husband or wife get on the right track physically is the real gift that keeps on giving. In this case a healthier body can give you more years together as a couple.

Creating a healthier diet through small changes is not as difficult as starting an exercise program. Buying foods that are good for us is an easier project than tackling a program that gets you and your spouse moving.

Exercising is something that most of us try to avoid. We procrastinate, we hesitate; we find every excuse we possibly can to get out of exercising. Even though we know how good it is for us and how good it makes us feel, we always find ways not to do it.

The problem is that not every exercise is right for everyone. There’s no “generic brand.” Find something that you both like to do. You will never stick with a program or series of exercises that you dread doing. You need to look forward to the movement, not see it as punishment.

If you and your spouse like baseball, hit the batting cages. If tennis seems like something you might enjoy, find a couple of rackets and volley. You’re not at
Wimbledon facing a tennis pro; hit the ball back and forth easily.

Want to be a real couple at the next family wedding? Sign up for some adult dance classes and get out on the dance floor. Do you like biking? Get a couple of used bikes and find a bike path. Do something, do it slowly, but do it!

Eat well and exercise according to your abilities. You’ll be surprised at what a great boost this can be to your self-esteem and that of your spouse.

You promised to grow old together; make those years healthy and active.

 

***

Get more “Relationships!” Subscribe to Kristen Houghton’s column.

 

Questions? Want to see a certain relationship topic addressed?  

Add a comment here or email me at:  kch@kristenhoughton.com

 

Copyright ©2008 by Kristen Houghton. All rights reserved

 

 


Topics: health , weight , exercise
   Subscribe   Feed
 
 

Comments

Name:  
Email Address:  
Comments: