Despite the important role of romantic relationships in physical activity, little research has examined the role of gender and sexual orientation in exercise-specific relational processes. Utilizing cross-sectional, dyadic data from 462 heterosexual and gay couples, the present study examined how exercise encouragement, exercise discouragement, and frequency of exercise disagreements are related to physical activity, psychological distress, and relationship satisfaction. We included important covariates and examined gender and sexual orientation as moderators. Higher exercise encouragement was associated with more frequent physical activity (for gay men only), lower psychological distress (for women only), and higher relationship satisfaction regardless of gender and sexual orientation. Higher exercise discouragement was associated with more physical activity for all participants and higher levels of psychological distress for gay men only. Finally, more frequent exercise disagreements were associated with more psychological distress for all participants. These findings highlight important implications for physical activity promotion, prevention, and intervention.
Keywords: couple relationships; exercise; psychological distress; relationship quality; social support.