MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN IN THE
TWIN CITIES, HOSTING 10,000
ATHLETES FOR THE SENIOR GAMES.
THOSE ATHLETES, MANY IN THEIR
70s AND 80s SPARKED A QUESTION
FROM THE WCCO VIEWER.
THEY DID.
THEY WERE NOTICING
MANY OF THE COUPLES WALKING HAND
AND HAND AS IF THEY WERE NEWLY
WEDS OR EVEN STILL DATING.
SO
IN TODAY'S RELATIONSHIP REBOOT,
HOW DO OLDER COUPLES KEEP THE
SPARK ALIVE.
JOINING US, WE
HAVE CAROL.
SHE HAD ANOTHER
OBLIGATION TODAY, KIRSTIN.
WE'RE LAUGHING BUT IT'S
SOMETHING EVERYBODY WANTS.
THAT'S THE DREAM TO HAVE THAT
NEWLY WED FEELING AFTER 60 YEARS
TOGETHERS
ABSOLUTELY.
THIS IS WHAT I WANT.
I WANT
TO HAVE THAT SPARK WITH MY WIFE.
EXACTLY.
WE ALL WANT IT.
THE QUESTION IS
HOW DO WE GET
IT?
YOU LOOK AT THESE GUY WHO'S
ARE ATHLETES, IS THAT APART OF
IT?
AT ANY TIME YOU EXERCISE, YOU
FEEL BETTER ABOUT LIFE.
WE HAVE
RESEARCH WHICH SHOWS THAT AFTER
EXERCISING OR DOING SOMETHING
PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING, PEOPLE
ACTUALLY FEEL MORE IN LOVE WITH
THEIR PARTNER.
THEY FEEL BETTER
ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIPS.
I LOVE THAT IDEA.
THEY'VE MASTERED SOMETHING
ELSE.
THIS IS INTERESTING.
I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING
ELSE GOING ON WITH THE OLDER
COUPLES.
THEY'VE MASTERED THE
NOVELTY HABIT.
THOSE IN NEW RELATIONSHIPS
KNOWS ABOUT THIS.
EARLIER ON IN YOUR
RELATIONSHIPS, THERE'S NEWNESS.
WHEN WE'RE YOUNGER, NOVELTY
COMES EASIER.
WE'RE WILLING TO
TRY NEW THING AND THERE'S MORE
TO TALK ABOUT.
OLDERS COUPLES
HAVE MASTERS THE NOVELTY -- THEY
SEEK OUT NEW EXPERIENCES
TOGETHER.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OLDER
COUPLES WHO MAY HAVE BEEN
TOGETHER, 30, 40, 50 YEARS.
ABSOLUTELY.
THIS IDEA OF
SEEKING OUT NEW AND EXCITING
THINGS TOGETHER HELPS YOU BOND
BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEW ACTIVITYS,
BUT IT GIVES YOU MORE TO TALK
ABOUT.
YOU TRAVEL THE WORLD AND HAVE
NEW EXPERIENCES BUT YOU CAN DO
SIMPLE THINGS.
FOR INSTANCE,
DRIVE TO A NEARBY CITY AND GOING
FOR A WALK IN A NEW
NEIGHBORHOOD.
TAKE UP A NEW
ACTIVITY LIKE SHUFFLE BOARD OR
SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER
CONSIDERED.
DO YOU HAVE TO BE THAT STEREO
TYPICAL?
CAROL.
MAYBE, [INDISCERNIBLE]
JUST HANGOUT IN THE POOL
EXERCISE.
WHAT'S COOL.
IF YOU DON'T
LIKE IT, THAT'S A BONDING
EXPERIENCE.
SURE.
GO ON A ROLLER COASTER IF YOU
WANT TO BE CRAZY.
MY GRAND PARENTS JUST
CELEBRATED THEIR 60 YEAR
ANNIVERSARY AND THEY WENT TO
EUROPE.
THEY WAITED THEIR WHOLE
LIVES TO DO THAT AND IT WAS
INCREDIBLE.
AND IT WAS AN
INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE THEY DID.
YOU CAN MAKE IT A PLAN TO DO
IT EVERY WEEK OR MONTH.
ADD SOMETHING NEW OR ZESTY TO
YOUR RELATIONSHIP ONCE A WEEK
FOR A YEAR.
FOR INSTANCE, OPEN
THE NEWSPAPER AND FIND A FREE
EVENT, A CONCERT, SOMETHING AT A
LOCAL UNIVERSITY AND GO TO IT.
INVITE A COUPLE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN
FRIENDS WITH OUT TO DINNER.
IT'S ALL AROUND YOU.
ONE OF THE
THINGS WE KNOW IS THAT COUPLES
WHO PLAY TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER.
I LOVE THAT.
BE PLAYFUL AND NEW
EXPERIENCES CAN OFFER THAT SENSE
OF PLAYFULNESS BECAUSE IT'S
NOVEL.
LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS
ARE ABOUT PREDICT ABILITY, BUT
WE HAVE TO ADD IN THE NEWNESS.
IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT MUCH
WORK.
YOU HAVE TO COMMIT
YOURSELF TO IT AND SAY YOU'RE
GOING TO DO IT.
EXACTLY.
IT'S ABOUT
INTENTIONALITY.
IF YOU'RE GOING
TO PLAY TOGETHER, TRY NOT TO
ALWAYS WIN
WHAT?
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT
WOULD WORK.
THOSE NEW EXPERIENCES CAN BE
ANYTHING.
IT CAN BE TRYING A
NEW FOOD WHICH SOUNDS SO
OBVIOUS, BUT HAVE SOMETHING NEW
TO TALK ABOUT.
WHEN YOU'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR
60 YEARS, YOU GET INTO YOUR FOOD
ROUTINE.
EVERYTHING GETS INTO A
ROUTINE.
EXACTLY.
JUST ADD SOMETHING NEW,
SOMETHING ZESTY, SOMETHING A
TYPICAL AND YOU WILL BE BOND
OVER IT.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T
ENJOY IT.
THAT'S KIND OF COOL TO BE,
LIKE, I CAN'T STAND THAT.