Carerobics: 11 Ways To Give Your Relationship A Workout

For keeping your romantic life in shape

Actress Rose Byrne recently transformed in to a manic, self-styled relationship guru for a video parody commissioned by female-powered comedy site PYPO (an acronym for ‘put your pretty on’).

The video previewed exclusively on The Cut, and while it didn’t exactly arm us with nuggets of relationship wisdom it has convinced us that applying tried and tested workout tips to your love life is actually a pretty smart concept. Byrne and her onscreen partner coined ‘carerobics’ - love life aerobics, if you will.

The logic is sound: if you want to keep your body in shape you would embark on an exercise routine – so why not apply the same thinking to your romantic life.

And boy-o does it seem like us Brits could do with a romantic workout. A recent study by OnePoll has found that millions of British couples cannot remember the last time they went on a date together. 

We're not just suffering from collective amnesia, it's just that many of us could really do with spending more quality time with our other half. The same study found that almost one in five people in relationships only manage to schedule a date night twice a year.

Carerobics might be just the thing to reinvigorate your relationship – certainly, a series of strength-building techniques designed to re-energise your partnership isn't going to make your match any unhealthier... 

So, behold! Some love-promoting tips for reconditioning your relationship (founded on a limited knowledge of the logistics and benefits of completing a standard, physical workout) :

1. Working out is great for relieving tension. The relationship equivalent: having honest conversations and grappling with tricky issues regularly.

2. If you had a knot in your back you would do something pronto to address the problem. Be as proactive if something in your love life is bugging you. 

3. Set intentions. What is your goal? Having a relationship destination in mind (the way you would a gym target) and being able to remind yourself of that should keep you focused later when things get sticky and you're blinded by frustration. 

4. Commitment is key. You have to be bothered and dedicate yourself to success. If you don’t want to get strong, maybe you need to find a new, more motivating buddy.

5. Don’t rush, you might hurt yourself or the other member of your very exclusive training group.

6. Trust your intuition, the same way you trust your legs to run longer than they've run before. 

7. Be optimistic and patient. Ye olde gym bunny mantra states: if it isn't challenging you, it isn't changing you. 

8. Be your partner's cheerleader and demand the same from them. You need to support each other.

10. Remember: as with physical fitness, strength can't always be seen. There's no right way to firm up your union but the likelihood is you'll both feel more powerful for trying. 

11. Reward yourself. Make a big deal of achieving your goals. Celebrate a year's worth of monthly date nights like you would if you'd just run a marathon.