Taking good care of yourself can be a tall order in today’s world with so many demands on your time and energy. Balancing a career with a personal life, family, friends, volunteering, the usual errands, and other commitments often leaves little time to put towards yourself, and time dedicated to workouts tends to be the first thing to go.

You may already have a good long list of reasons why taking care of yourself, especially when it comes to your health and fitness, is important to you, but I’m going to add fuel to that fire. As women we are the natural caretakers of others, so we don’t always think about the benefits others will feel once we’re taking care of ourselves. The truth is your personal relationships may benefit far more than you realize! So here at 6 great reasons why making your fitness a priority will benefit your relationships:

1. You’ll have more to give others once you take care of you

   You’ve probably heard the Airplane Oxygen Mask Analogy: put your mask on first before helping the person next to you. But rather than thinking of helping people in a one-time emergency situation, I prefer an analogy that takes into account the day to day lifestyle of self-care. Think about your body like a car- is it easier or more desirable to transport someone on a cross-country road trip in a run-down vehicle with the check engine light flashing and one flat tire? Or in a smoothly running shiny BMW that has been expertly maintained? (Hint- you want to treat yourself like that BMW!) You’ll be stronger, have more energy, and be able to serve others in a greater capacity if you yourself are well-cared for and in good health.

2. Your confidence gets a boost.

   Taking care of your body by doing exercises that include some strength training will not only help you get and stay lean but improve your posture, and generally speaking, your confidence. So many women find fitness empowering once they learn what their amazing bodies are capable of! Improved body confidence naturally leads to more confidence in the others areas of your life. This is a big perk if you’re in a relationship already, but can also be a boost if you’re getting into the dating scene or even in the work environment.

3. You’ll experience better bedroom performance.

   On the romantic side, a fit, flexible, strong healthy body has benefits when it comes to intimacy. There are a lot of internal and functional changes to your body once you’re in a regular exercise routine, and you don’t have to look like a Greek goddess to reap these benefits! I’m talking about better blood flow, improved endurance, more agility, a wider range of motion and flexibility, and improved hormone levels. The combined effect of all this is heightened potential in the bedroom!

4. Couples who sweat together tend to stay together.

   Consider working out with your partner great bonding time due to the shared experience, mixed with the physicality of actually sweating a bit. Sharing a passion, even if new-found, for exercise or physical activity makes you feel even more in sync with your partner on an emotional level, increasing the satisfaction you’ll get from your relationship. Mix in some feel-good endorphins and the closeness you feel from spending quality time together, and sweat sessions with your romantic partner can become their own form of foreplay.

5. You’ll be in a better mood, and that’s contagious.

   Have you ever noticed that when you’re around happy people, you start smiling more too? We humans pick up on each other’s moods, both the positive and negative. Exercise releases some pretty powerful endorphins, which make you happy, improve your mood and reduce your stress. When you are more relaxed and radiating feel-good vibes, everyone around you benefits and will subconsciously want to spend more time with you (friends, family, coworkers, & significant others too!)

6. The ability to do more physical activities opens up more social circles.

   If you were never fit enough to go for that hike, or too embarrassed or slow to join that run club or adult kickball league, well now you can go for it! Bonus- having healthy active friends makes you more likely to stay active. And a workout date or game is a much healthier lifestyle than always meeting for dinner or drinks.

So instead of thinking about how positive relationships will be good for your health, think more about how taking care of yourself with regular exercise will be a major benefit for your relationships! Being your Best Kept Self when it comes to health and fitness means you can give more to others, experience deeper and more exciting romantic relationships, make new friends, and be the confident and positive woman more people want to be around.

We do not claim to own this article nor do we claim to have written it. All credit is given to Best Kept Self.