Even if you don’t happen upon this article today (Valentine’s Day) it important for you and your companion to take note – spa day for couples is so passé. That’s right, modern couples interested in health and wellness are looking to physical therapy as a means to build and sustain a healthy relationship. Sound about as far stretching as a one-legged king pigeon pose? Not at all. Let’s find out why.
4 Reasons Why Physical Therapy Will Help You Build a Strong Foundation as a Couple
1. Getting Fit Together Helps You Stay Happier Together
Psychology Today reports that couples who engage in frequent physical activity (no, not just that kind) together are happier, and tend to stay together.
In getting on the “same page” with one another’s physical fitness, you form a positive common bond. There of course is a visceral element at play, seeing your partner in athletic gear and going through the motions, sweating, gaining strength, improving flexibility and overall body function, but there is more to it than that. It creates an environment where you have to opportunity to provide supportive comments about your partner’s progress and discuss your own. It gives you something to talk about, which as anyone in a longterm relationship knows, can be a challenge.
By making physiotherapy a part of your lifestyle, it gives the two of you a reason to eat healthier and participate in complementary activities (jogging, swimming, hiking, etc.) together. You will have more energy, become more attractive to one another (all else equal), and will be in a better mood and thus less likely to rub each other the wrong way after a long day at the office.
To make it work, you will want to book your physiotherapy sessions in advance with a clinic that has enough staff to accommodate the two of you in the same time slot (or overlapping). A clinic should also offer services that couples will want to take advantage of, such as core fitness training, massage therapy, and more.
2. Enjoy a Better Sex Life
Yes, all of the above can help improve your sex life in a roundabout way. But physical therapy can actually have a very direct impact on sexual health.
A recent study found that sex is painful for 10 percent of women. Other important studies have shown that number to be much higher, noting that two-thirds of women experience pain or discomfort during intercourse. One reason for this, is pelvic floor dysfunction, which can include pelvic organ prolapse and pain in the pelvic floor, which contributes to painful intercourse. Pain may also exist after childbirth. By finding a physiotherapy clinic that is versed women’s health you (or your loved one) will gain access to treatments that may help make sex more enjoyable. These treatments include (but are not exclusive to) manual therapy, core training, electric stimulation, and acupuncture, the latter of which is used to treat ailments such as vaginismus).
3. Healthy Couples with Healthy Kids
This one goes out to those couples who are planning on having kids, or already do. One key component to maintaining a healthy marriage is having healthy children. When kids are are unwell, stress is placed on the entire family, and a wedge can be driven between the parents. Blame can be misdirected, sleepless nights become agitated days, and so forth. But when you make physiotherapy a part of your child’s annual health and wellness plan, you give them a better shot at avoiding (or healing) injuries, overcoming more serious physical conditions (where applicable), improving cognitive and emotional performance, and provide them with a greater sense of self-awareness. All of this makes for healthier kids and often as a direct result, a healthier marriage.
4. Reducing Individual Stress Help Reduce Couples’ Stress
When people are stressed, it has a direct impact on their relationship. Even if one of you handles stress much better than the other, that cheery disposition can sometimes aggravate the other who doesn’t think a partner is taking their problems seriously. While physiotherapy primarily treats physical ailments and improves body function, it also has a positive impact on stress. Studies show that regular visits with a physiotherapist can help combat depression, while treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic therapy (including headache treatment) can help alleviate other forms of stress from one’s life. Physical therapy can also help with common ailments such as sore feet which can otherwise have one of you coming back home from a long day in a very bad mood. Simply put, by correcting physical ailments, you help keep the potential for corresponding mental and emotional stress at bay. And a stress free person is one that is far more open to loving, and being loved.
Give your relationship that shot it deserves by booking a couples consultation with our clinic today.