Great Dates

Perfect Fit

Of the whole year, the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas are when spouses ignore each other the most, eat too much and exercise the least?all of which can leave you feeling stressed. But you can take good care of yourself and your marriage with a workout date.

Many health clubs, aerobic programs, and fitness centers offer trial memberships or guest passes to let people try them out. Pick up two and head to the club with your honey.

Or get even more creative. We recently had a great date while shopping for a treadmill. After visiting four stores and trying out several treadmills, we'd walked a couple of miles! Don't forget about workout videos, some of which are designed for you and a partner. Or simply take a walk around a track or your neighborhood.

While you're exercising, use these questions to jump-start a great conversation:

1. What are our strengths as a couple?
2. What are the areas of weakness we need to work on?
3. What's one thing we could do between Thanksgiving and Christmas to strengthen our marriage?

Relax and have fun on your workout date (remember, it's not a competition). And follow through on question 3 while enjoying more energy during the holidays.

David and Claudia Arp are the founders of Marriage Alive (www.marriagealive.com). They are the authors of numerous books including 10 Great Dates (Zondervan).

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