Everyday Relationship Processes and Physical Activity in Older Couples

Regular physical activity contributes to healthy aging, supporting physical functioning, psychological well-being, and quality of life. Yet maintaining an active lifestyle can become increasingly challenging in later adulthood. Although physical activity is often understood in terms of individual motivation, health status, and personal habits, the relationships in which individuals participate may also influence their behavior. For older adults in long-term romantic relationships, everyday interactions with a partner may shape decisions about physical activity, while shared health behaviors may also influence relationship functioning.

In the MRI-funded project Everyday Relationship Processes and Physical Activity in Older Couples, Dr. Danielle Weber (University of North Carolina at Greensboro), working with co-investigator Dr. Jaclyn Maher, examines the reciprocal associations between relationship dynamics and physical activity in older couples. By combining direct observations of couple communication, repeated daily assessments, and objective measures of movement, the study investigates how partners' health beliefs, emotional experiences, and supportive behaviors relate to physical activity and relationship quality over time.

Previous research has established associations between intimate relationship quality and physical and psychological health. Supportive relationships can provide emotional reassurance, practical assistance, and encouragement, while persistent relationship difficulties may contribute to stress and poorer health outcomes. However, less is known about the everyday processes through which relationship experiences are associated with specific health behaviors.

These questions are particularly relevant in later adulthood, when physical activity remains important for maintaining health and independence but may be affected by changes in physical functioning, routines, and motivation. Romantic partners often share daily activities and responsibilities, creating opportunities for their health behaviors to become interconnected.

Partners may encourage one another to remain active, develop shared exercise routines, or adjust their activities in response to changing physical abilities. However, these influences are not necessarily beneficial in every circumstance. Encouragement intended as supportive may be perceived as pressure, while differences in activity preferences or health goals may create tension. Understanding these distinctions requires examining not only whether partners provide support but also how that support is communicated and experienced.

Weber's research addresses these questions through an interactional perspective, examining how physical activity and relationship experiences may influence one another throughout everyday life. The project focuses on three interconnected areas: the extent to which partners' health beliefs and behaviors are related, how daily relationship experiences correspond with physical activity, and whether physical activity is subsequently associated with relationship functioning.

The study will recruit approximately 65 older couples, representing 130 individuals, through community fitness centers and organizations serving older adults. Participants will complete an initial assessment, followed by 14 days of intensive daily monitoring and a follow-up assessment three months later.

During the initial assessment, both partners will complete questionnaires examining general health, physical activity habits, motivation, relationship satisfaction, communication patterns, and experiences of partner support. Couples will also participate in a recorded ten-minute conversation about their physical activity goals.

These conversations will allow researchers to observe how partners discuss health-related intentions, respond to differences in perspective, and communicate support. By examining these interactions directly, the study can complement participants' self-reported experiences with observations of how health-related communication unfolds within the relationship.

Following the initial assessment, participants will complete two weeks of daily monitoring. Each partner will wear an accelerometer to obtain objective measures of physical movement and respond to four brief questionnaires each day.

These repeated assessments will capture physical activity intentions, confidence in the ability to be active, emotional experiences, stress, relationship satisfaction, communication, and recent supportive interactions. Combining wearable activity measurements with repeated reports will allow the researchers to examine how relationship experiences and physical activity vary across different moments and days.

This approach offers an opportunity to investigate processes that may be difficult to capture through retrospective questionnaires alone. Rather than relying exclusively on participants' recollections of their usual behavior, the study will examine whether experiences reported at one point in the day are associated with subsequent activity or relationship functioning.

One objective is to investigate the interconnected nature of partners' health beliefs and behaviors. For example, the researchers will examine whether one person's intention to be physically active is associated with their partner's subsequent movement and whether changes in one partner's activity correspond with changes in the other's behavior.

A second objective concerns the relationship experiences that may support or discourage physical activity. The study will investigate whether emotional closeness, relationship satisfaction, and supportive communication are associated with greater movement throughout the day.

Particular attention will be given to the relationship between physical activity intentions and actual behavior. Individuals may intend to exercise but encounter practical, emotional, or physical barriers that interfere with their plans. The researchers will examine whether certain forms of partner support are associated with a greater likelihood of translating those intentions into activity.

Importantly, the study will also consider whether physical activity is associated with subsequent relationship experiences. Shared movement and exercise routines may provide opportunities for connection and mutual encouragement, while differences in preferences, motivation, or physical abilities may introduce challenges. Examining these patterns will help clarify how health behaviors and relationship functioning are linked within everyday couple interactions.

Three months after the initial assessment, participants will complete additional questionnaires addressing their health, physical activity, and relationship experiences. These follow-up assessments will allow researchers to investigate whether patterns observed during the daily monitoring period are associated with broader outcomes over time.

The findings may inform future approaches to promoting healthy aging. Physical activity interventions often emphasize individual motivation, goal setting, and behavior change, without fully considering the ways romantic partners influence one another's daily choices. Identifying relationship processes associated with greater activity may help researchers develop interventions that incorporate partner communication and support.

Similarly, the findings may contribute to relationship-focused approaches for older adults by clarifying how everyday health behaviors relate to emotional closeness and relationship satisfaction. Communication about physical limitations, shared activities, and differences in health goals may represent important aspects of relational functioning during later adulthood.

By integrating relationship science, kinesiology, and research on aging, the project examines physical activity within the interpersonal contexts in which it occurs. Rather than assuming that health behaviors are determined independently, the research considers how partners' beliefs, experiences, and actions are connected across daily interactions and over time.

This MRI-funded study contributes to an interactional and systemic understanding of health and human relationships by investigating the reciprocal associations between physical activity and couple functioning. It highlights how everyday communication, emotional support, and shared routines may be connected to both physical and relational well-being, providing a foundation for future research on healthier and more connected experiences in later adulthood.