The relationship among physical activity, differentiation, and perceived relationship satisfaction

This study examined the relationship among differentiation, frequency of regular physical activity and relationship satisfaction. While the influence of regular physical activity on individual mental health has been studied extensively, it has never been carried over into the relational context. Additionally, the element of differentiation was incorporated as an additional variable in the multiple regressions, as highly differentiated people have been shown to report increased relationship satisfaction. The present study included 147 participants recruited primarily through advertisements on social networking websites. Through a series of regression analyses, the researcher found support for previous studies that higher levels of differentiation were significantly associated with relationship satisfaction. Additionally, the researcher found that as the amount of time spent exercising with a significant other increased, so did the reported level of relationship satisfaction