The news in brief
A Brigham Young University study of 1,693 young married American couples associates exercise done together, and also alone, with better communication and less conflict. The data, collected at a single point in time, do not show that exercise is the cause.
What the study says
A team from Brigham Young University, in the United States, published online on 5 August 2026 in the journal Family Relations a study on exercising as a couple. It is signed by Ashlyn Mildenhall, Matthew Núñez and Jeremy Yorgason, professor in the School of Family Life; the first two had joined the project as students (BYU News, 2026). The article itself is paywalled: we read its published abstract, the university's press release and two detailed accounts written from the full text (StudyFinds, 2026; Earth.com, 2026).
The researchers used the answers of 1,693 young married couples from CREATE, a nationally representative survey that has followed newlywed couples for more than ten years (study abstract, 2026). The data come from the second wave, collected in 2017, from couples mostly married in 2014 (Earth.com, 2026). Each spouse said whether they exercised regularly, named up to three activities and specified whether their spouse took part. As soon as one of the two answered yes for an activity, the couple was classified as exercising together (StudyFinds, 2026).
The team compared solo exercise and exercise together with three measures reported separately by each spouse: communication (five questions, on listening or the effort to understand the other), conflict resolution (eight questions) and the frequency and severity of arguments (Earth.com, 2026). The calculations take into account age, income and children, among other things (StudyFinds, 2026).
The figures to remember
About 58% of wives and 60% of husbands say they exercise regularly, but only about a third of couples exercise together (Earth.com, 2026).
Exercise done alone and exercise done together both go hand in hand with better communication, better conflict resolution and fewer arguments, among wives as among husbands (study abstract, 2026). Communication is the measure that stands out the most, according to Ashlyn Mildenhall (BYU News, 2026). Couples who exercise together also say they listen to each other better and feel more heard and supported (BYU News, 2026).
Walking is among the most often cited shared activities, and the press release puts it first (BYU News, 2026). Jeremy Yorgason describes an effect that is “not necessarily large”, but very consistent (BYU News, 2026).
How to read these results
First limit, and the most important: the data were collected at a single point in time. They show that two things go together, not which one leads to the other. Couples who already get along well may simply find it easier to exercise together, and the authors call for following couples over time (StudyFinds, 2026).
Second nuance, on the superiority of exercising together. The study abstract and the press release say that, measured alongside solo exercise, shared exercise shows stronger and more consistent associations (study abstract, 2026). But the two accounts based on the full article specify that the gap between the two, tested directly, does not reach the threshold of statistical significance (StudyFinds, 2026; Earth.com, 2026). Without the full text, we cannot settle the question. The safest message is that moving, alone or together, is associated with a relationship described more favourably, with a slight apparent advantage for shared exercise.
Third point: the links are modest and explain only a small part of the differences between couples (Earth.com, 2026). Everything is self-reported, the definition of exercise is broad (it sometimes includes physical work or running after your children), and neither intensity, nor duration, nor frequency was measured (StudyFinds, 2026). The sample is made up of young married American couples, with middle to high incomes, about 46% of whom had children (StudyFinds, 2026). Nothing says the finding holds for other couples.
The authors did not test the reasons for the link. They mention uninterrupted time together that encourages conversation, and perhaps an effect of exercise on emotional calm, without being able to confirm it (StudyFinds, 2026). Finally, they recall that shared exercise is not a cure for couple difficulties (BYU News, 2026).
What this changes for the reader
This study does not demonstrate that a bike ride repairs a relationship. It provides a modest argument in favour of a simple, accessible habit: moving regularly, and why not together, when it suits you both.
Solo exercise is also associated with better outcomes. There is therefore no reason to give up your personal session for a joint programme: exercise together can be added, without replacing the rest.
No performance is required either. Jeremy Yorgason mentions about fifteen minutes in the evening as a starting point (BYU-Idaho Radio, 2026), and notes that, for young parents, this often means deliberately setting aside that time (BYU News, 2026).
Finally, let us keep a sense of proportion. If one of you prefers to exercise alone, it says nothing about the strength of the couple. And in the event of persistent communication difficulties, a couples therapy or family mediation professional remains the right person to turn to. After a long break, an injury or a health problem, a doctor's advice comes before any return to exercise.
What our main page adds
Our main page goes further on how to get started. It suggests beginning with walking, which keeps conversation possible, setting the pace by the less fit of the two, booking a fixed slot in the diary and adding a new activity from time to time, because shared novelty is associated with better relationship quality in psychology experiments. It also warns of the pitfalls: pressure, which can make you move less, poorly dosed competition when levels differ, and the relationship check-in along the way. Lastly, it recalls that keeping your personal sessions remains useful. The details are in the “Exercising as a couple” page.
Going further
This news item is part of a broader topic, which our page Exercising as a couple covers in detail.