Healthy Date Ideas, Perfect for Valentines

Sure you can go the usual dinner, or dinner and a show, or dinner on a boat for Valentine’s Day but if you want to kick your date activities to the next level, try something healthy.

Doing something physical and mentally stimulating with someone you’re really into brings you right back to childhood adventures. It is not only a step off the beaten path but it can rev up feel good hormones like endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, the best hormone combo when celebrating love.

So if it’s just a one time Valentine’s jaunt or a once-a-week adventure these healthy date tips just may inject some spice into your love life.

Hoof It

Yep, horseback riding, as long as no one is allergic to our equine friends this activity is a unique, low impact, invigorating activity that engages all your leg, as well as core muscles. Excellent for those suffering from knee issues as it can strengthen this area bringing extra support to mechanical challenges plus it can be kind of romantic too.

The study, Knee Pain: Safely Strengthening Your Thigh Muscles, published in the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy states,

“Quadriceps are the muscles on the front of your thigh that help you straighten your knee. When these muscles are not strong, you may feel pain under your kneecap….[do] exercises to strengthen thigh muscles while minimizing the load under the kneecap.”

Be sure and take precautions as if these muscles are not in shape, horseback riding could result in soreness the next day.

Happy Stretch

In Classical Chinese Medicine it is believed that there is energy or Qi (“chee”) in your body that travels like many flowing rivers. If this Qi is impeded or halted altogether, like boulders blocking water, disease can ensue. Try a yoga class as the perfect date to open your Qi and expand your ‘river flow’.

A study published in Sexuality Research & Social Policy stated,

“…among both men and women, more frequent yoga practice was associated with increased body awareness, positive affect, and satisfaction with life, as well as decreased negative affect.”

Yoga has been shown to connect couples more as their heightened energy flow becomes attractive to one another.

Swing With Love

Golf and tennis are activities that couples can do on a date well into their old age. These are the perfect outings that also move your inner energy as well as much needed circulation. Try for a first date, Valentine’s fun or weekly connection with your significant other to get your bodies firing on all cylinders, which may come in handy later.

Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a study on the Health Benefits of Tennis cites,

“People who choose to play tennis appear to have significant health benefits, including improved aerobic fitness, a lower body fat percentage, a more favorable lipid profile, reduced risk for developing cardiovascular disease, and improved bone health.”

Go Altruistic

Choosing to volunteer your time and effort is a date together that could easily make your personal top ten. Whether you are a longtime couple or it’s a first date, volunteering shows a person’s true colors which, hopefully, are filled with kindness and compassion.

There is homeless outreach like soup kitchen work; litter removal; children’s services; nursing home volunteering; or even managing sheltered animals.

Social Science and Medicine published a study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, Population Research Center, Austin, TX which reported,

“Volunteer work improves access to social and psychological resources, which are known to counter negative moods such as depression and anxiety.”

You Gotta Eat, Make It Count

After your healthy date why not feast on an aphrodisiac meal. Choosing specific foods has shown to enhance various systemic functions that could help intimacy. Perfect for the Valentine’s Day date-after-activity-date-dinner (say that ten times fast).

Here are some obvious and not so obvious aphrodisiac eats:

• Oysters – Contain lots of zinc which has shown to boost libido and testosterone production.
• Ginseng, saffron, nutmeg, cloves, ginger – These spices increased sexual function in lab studies.
• Chili peppers – Dr. Meryl S. Rosofsky, adjunct professor in the department of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University comments, “Chili peppers, for example, quicken the pulse and induce sweating, mimicking the state of sexual arousal, as well as stimulating the release of endorphins, which play a role in sexual pleasure”
• Avocado – This tasty, unassuming fruit (yes fruit) seems to be a great choice. Barbara Klein, professor of food and nutrition at the University of Illinois, told the California Avocado Commission that the fruit’s high levels of vitamin E could help keep the spark alive because of its role in maintaining “youthful vigor and energy level.”
• Bananas – Along with it’s phallic shape, a banana contains muscle supporting potassium; energy enhancing vitamin B; and the enzyme bromelain which Dr. Oz says boosts testosterone production.
• Honey – The name honeymoon comes from a drink called ‘mead’ which is made from alcohol and honey given to the newly married couple to enhance libido. You don’t need the alcohol because honey alone contains boron which regulates estrogen and testosterone levels while giving you a natural energy boosts as well.

Whether you are celebrating your love, getting to know one another or just hanging with a pal these healthy date ideas can certainly fire things up for the best.