Most people would agree that relationships can be tricky. Whether you have been in one for a while or you are heading into a brand new one, there are some conversations that are difficult to have. After all, this is a new human being in your life that you have to get to know. A relationship is supposed to make you happy, but if there is one thing that people do agree on is that relationships can make you unhealthy. We don’t mean emotionally – physically!

Relationships make you comfortable – which is a good thing. However, the combination of lazy Sundays and a lot of rich food can be a little sluggish for the body. It feels fantastic at the time, but then you’re three months into the relationship and suddenly your jeans are a little tight and you’ve put on some happy weight. It’s the slight downside to falling in love and finding your person. Nobody is perfect, of course, but relationships shouldn’t be the excuse that leaves your body unhealthy and feeling frumpy. Not only do you have to then work to get back to feeling comfortable in your skin, you also have to pay out for a whole new wardrobe! You shouldn’t be feeling worried and stressed when in a relationship, and so it can help to stay as healthy as possible. Let’s explore four ways you can do that.

Keep Moving

Just because you like to spend Saturday night on the sofa with a big bowl of popcorn and a movie, doesn’t mean that you have to do only that. It’s likely that you lived a healthy lifestyle before you got into a relationship, so make time to keep moving. Exercise isn’t just about getting your jeans on, but it’s a great way to stop feeling low and sluggish and instead, you can feel energized and fantastic about yourself. You want to add intentional exercise into your day, and you could always do it together! Go for long hikes and walks along the beach, and join a gym together. Couples who lift together, live together, and while you don’t have to be all about burning calories and lifting weights, you can spend time together and have a laugh about what you’re doing. Push each other further and further, and make it something fun to do. Rock climb, swim lengths, run – your bedroom Olympics aren’t the only thing that will keep you moving!

Healthy Sex

The old saying goes that if you are comfortable enough to have sex with your new love, you should be comfortable enough to talk about both of you getting tested before you jump in. You know how important it is to use condoms and other back-up protection, especially with the 8.1% increase in STDs. This won’t always be an easy conversation to have, especially if the other half of you is going to get offended at being asked to be tested. Let’s be frank: if you want to ensure that you are protected, don’t have sex until your partner is tested and confirmed free of STDs and HIV. It’s not about not trusting each other, but when you have sex with someone new – especially without condoms – you’re having sex with every person they’ve had sex with. The consequences of lust taking over can lead to sexual health issues that can even leave you infertile. 

They may not feel like they need to be tested, as they feel fine. However, explaining that some STDs don’t have symptoms is important. Explaining that the risks of pregnancy are high, and you want to remain protected until you’ve both been given the all-clear is important to you, should be important to them. Condoms aren’t perfect – no contraception is. This is a must-have conversation before you get into bed, and if you want to stay healthy in your relationship, this chat will make you stronger together.

Spend Time Apart

If you’re living together or not, you need time apart. Relationships are easily all-consuming, but that doesn’t mean you have to allow yourself to be consumed by it. You don’t have to exercise together all the time. You don’t have to spend every waking moment together – even when the lust makes you feel you have to! Take time to be by yourself. Wake up together sometimes but go to work apart. Take a night away and be with your friends. A relationship doesn’t define who you are, and you can still be a whole person outside of your partner. Time alone isn’t ever time wasted, and it’s time you can enjoy things without feeling smothered or bothered. Loving being alone also doesn’t mean that you want to be single. It just means that you have the confidence to spend time wrapped up in yourself and not with someone else at your side every time. You are allowed to be separate from the person you’ve fallen for. You may not want to be, but you need to find the person that can hold you close while allowing you to breathe if you want to keep your relationship a healthy one.

Deal With Stress Gracefully

It’s so easy to take out your stress on your partner and sometimes, your stress will be caused by your partner. The good thing about a relationship is that you balance each other out. If you’re low and stressed, learning on your partner is a must and vice versa. No relationship is entirely without stress, but knowing how to deal with it without blowing up at each other is so important. You want to live as easy a life as possible, but that doesn’t mean taking any stress and internalizing it. Talk through issues and don’t be afraid to have those conversations – they’re important! 

Being in a relationship is exciting and you can be a part of one that is balanced and healthy if you make sure that you don’t slip into bad habits. Your life doesn’t have to be unhealthy so use these tips to make it the best it can be!