According to recent studies, the answer is yes!

We’ve all heard of those 10 pounds newlyweds put on in their first year of wedded bliss, but according to Dr.’s Roizen and Oz (yes, Mehmet Oz) of www.realage.com, a recent study concluded that couples who live together for more than two years are ‘significantly more likely to be obese than those together for less time.’

There are several fairly obvious reasons for this, including the fact that you may be likely, when you live together, to sit and watch TV together eating junk; you may have more social obligations thus eating more, and you are not as likely to be concerned about attracting a mate. Makes sense, right?

The good news is, you can choose for your relationship to have the opposite effect as well, by focusing on geting in shape, and having your partner be your best asset – a workout buddy!

Couples who walk or run together will tell you it’s some of the best times they spend, and strengthens their relationship while strengthening their bodies. There are almost countless ways you can support each other and it may help you try new things – how about rock climbing, hiking or joining a local adult baseball or soccer team?

If you choose consciously, you can get the same social benefits from working out together as you did going out drinking with the gang. Plus, you’ll have the added bonus of being healthy and looking great – and a boost to your relationship as well!

For an inspiring example of a couple who plays and works together, visit my friends Aaron and Shanna Potts at Fitness Destinations.com. They offer kick-butt fitness coaching and can help you achieve all your fitness goals!

Are relationships complex and difficult to spark and maintain? Or are they simple and easy?

How you answer this question will depend greatly on your own web of beliefs about who you are, your ability to interact with others, as well as your personal history, from your relationship with your parents, to friendships and romantic interests. It’s all connected, and everything we’ve experienced in our past informs how we behave in the present.

Having studied success for many years, naturally my study would include successful interactions and relationships. I have noticed, as you may have, that many self-help ‘gurus’ offer advice about how to improve relationships or how to attract the ‘perfect’ mate without offering a way to change our underlying assumptions and beliefs. This is important, because you can perform exercises from courses and work on your social skills, but if you still have fear or hesitation or resentment (just common examples of blocks), you may find it difficult to make progress. You will attract the same kinds of people and create the same kinds of conflict or challenge. How we behave comes from, as mentioned above, our inner web of beliefs, and unless we have a shift in which we are coming at things from a new perspective, it can be very hard to change.

Perhaps you will benefit from a shift at a different level – a change in paradigm. I’d like to look at this from a different point of view – from a higher perspective.

When thinking about how we interact with people, it really doesn’t matter whether we are dealing with our spouse, kids, friends or even a potential but as-of-yet-unrealized mate. What matters is how we feel inside when we approach life, and this can be vastly different for different people. Those who feel – and engender – a sense of connection with those around them find success in relationships others can’t even come close to. Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting someone who made you feel special instantly, who made you feel as if you’d always known them and you felt an instant connection? This is possible for you as well, with everyone you meet.

You may have heard that we are all connected, but have you ever given some deep thought to this concept and how your attitude towards it affects how you talk to people, even what you communicate when you look a stranger in the eye? By expanding your sense of self, you will see remarkable changes in your relationships, with loved ones and strangers alike. Those closest to you will likely provide the most challenge, as you are accustomed to behaving in certain patterns with them. They offer perfect mirrors to your inner self, and when you ‘get’ this you can use them for this purpose – the purpose they were always meant to serve!