Like for psychological preparation, physical preparation favors the appearance of an exchange of affection. There are two aspects to it: maintaining good physical health and personal hygiene. Since an exchange of affection uses our body, the healthier we are, the more we can profit from the benefits which it gives us . Therefore it is very important to be aware of our personal hygiene so not to indispose our partner with unpleasant odors.

The reason for being in good health:

An exchange of affection is physically challenging. In fact, ninety percent uses the body and the other ten percent, the mind. Yet, an exchange of affection does not use much physical energy: in fact, our heart rate doesn't rise much. However, we must be very alert physically.

On the one hand, apathy is a physical weakness caused by poor health where depression is experienced on a psychological level: this can start a period of depression and inversely, this can lead to apathy. Thus, the more that we are in physical shape, the less we will experience periods of depression. Apathy results in numbing our emotions, that is to say, we express fewer emotions and we are less receptive to those of our partner. When we are in a state of depression, we don't have the energy to devote ourselves to our partner because to be in a relationship, we must have good moral. Finally, with apathy, we withdraw into ourselves and this annihilates any possibility of emotional communication.

A healthy body allows us to be more emotionally alert. In other words, it is easier for us to detect the emotions emitted by our partner's body. An alert body allows for a larger presence of mind to perceive the nuances and promptly and correctly react to them. Therefore, it is easier to abandon ourselves to affection. Besides, we benefit, in general, more from life when we are healthy because affection takes a lot from our nervous system, nerve impulses are produced easier. Apathy associates itself with a drop in production of chemical mediators for the neurons (called noradrenaline) and the secretion of adrenaline in the blood. Our sensibility thus depends on the presence of these two hormones. Good physical health helps maintain an adequate level of stress so we are more aware of what happens emotionally.

But too high a level of stress has the same effect as too little stress - which reduces our sensibility. So, high levels of stress makes us emotionally insensitive because it exhausts our nervous system. While with too little stress, in the case of apathy, we become insensitive because our system is functioning at a slower pace. Any drop in our physical abilities, whether due to injury or illness, will cause excessive stress if we are using our body or a state of apathy if we are resting. So we either become anxious or depressed. Instinctively, a state of anxiety makes us put up walls which render emotional abandon impossible.

What we need to do to stay healthy:

Food:
Essentially, we must follow the Canadian alimentary guide. This entails eating food, every day, that comes from the following four food groups: dairy products; bread and cereals; fruit and vegetables and finally, meats, fish and substitutes. Special care must be taken to eat fruits, leafy greens and vegetables because they contain most of the vitamins and minerals essential to our health. Furthermore, it is recommended to eat fresh vegetables because vitamins evaporate during cooking. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain lots of fibers, which leads to regularity. As for cereals and bread, we should choose whole wheat to obtain all the nutritive elements and fibers. Also, it is important to consume dairy products every day because they are our main source of calcium: a calcium deficiency can lead to hair loss, soft nails and more fragile bones.

We must equally eat three meals a day and at regular hours, of which the most important is breakfast. We should avoid diets and food deprivation because hunger is a physical need more important than affection. If we eat less calories than necessary, we will place our body in a semi-fast mode. Our body will then treat the problem of hunger and forget its need for affection. When we are tortured by hunger, our vigilance level falls: we have trouble concentrating on work, we become irritable and unable to enter into a relation with another. Lack of food leads to a deficit in energy which exhausts our body and puts it in a state of urgency.

Due to the stress of hunger, it is therefore preferable to have an exchange of affection after a meal. The feeling of fullness helps us feel the need for affection. In other words, eating until we are full gives us a sense of security that favors physical abandonment. In fact, the well-being that we feel after a copious meal places us in a state of emotional reception.

A meal rich in fat gives us the real sensation of being full. It is important to eat a dessert rich in calories like pastries, because a food rich in sugar and fat comforts us a lot. Besides, food is directly linked to emotions of affection because when our mother breast-fed us , we simultaneously received love and food. Since maternal milk is rich and sugary, we experienced these kind of emotions when we eat pastries or sweets.

An intimate meal, at a restaurant or at home, is the best preparation lasting an hour or two before an exchange of affection. Emotions are experienced in relation to food during a cozy meal, puts us in a state of mind favorable for an affectionate relation. In fact, the feeling of well-being and safety that food gives us starts emotional communication with our partner. We feel good about our partner because the food is good. And inversely, the food is good because it is taken in the presence of our partner. Isn't it true when we say, "Food isn't as good when we eat alone?".

We must avoid foods which are low in fat or dietetic because they are bland and flavorless, as in the case of low fat cheese, mayonnaise and yogurts. Forcing yourself to eat something interferes with the pleasure that food should give us . Also, we must avoid drinking too much wine or beer during a meal: this produces a sedative effect that will make us sluggish. In fact, we must be alert and energetic to feel the need for an exchange of affection. It is also recommended to only drink one cup of coffee or tea after a meal, because their stimulating effect on the nervous system induces a state of stress which makes us emotionally unstable. This instability has the same effect on our behavior as feeling insecure; thus we distance ourselves from our partner.

Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol:
Cigarettes, alcohol and drugs are barriers to an exchange of affection. Cigarettes are the most toxic substances because they create a strong, physical dependence, similar to the one that heroin produces. The need for nicotine surpasses the body's need for affection. In fact, when the body no longer has its dose of nicotine, it enters into a state of urgency. Thus, the smoker will place himself in absurd situations - if he is a salesman, he will smoke in front of his clients, if he is a construction worker, he will smoke while working in the winter despite extreme temperatures - if he is out of cigarettes, he will risk his life by driving during a blizzard to get some more. When an individual needs a cigarette, it is impossible for him to enter into emotional communication. In fact, the relation with his partner becomes secondary. He will stop talking to her to light up a cigarette.

If we smoke, the nauseous odor of smoke will distance our partner away from us because it is disgusting to kiss an ashtray. Cigarettes diminish our physical abilities and our quality of life immensely. In fact, someone addicted to nicotine is a sick person. Furthermore, men who smoke reduce their ability to get an erection. Cigarettes also diminish the addict's ability to taste foods and their sense of smell. Since body odors play a vital role in physical abandon, it is more difficult to let ourselves give into our feelings if we cannot smell the natural scent of our partner.

Since alcohol is a depressant, alcoholics live in a general state of daze. They don't take care of themselves, they neglect their attire, their looks and their hygiene. They give up on their relationship with their partner and isolate themselves because they are unable to express their emotions and hold them inside. As a direct result of this, they are unable to emotionally abandon themselves to their partner.

Narcotics, such as marijuana, hash, LSD, and magic mushrooms are hallucinogens. An individual under the effect of these drugs will express their emotions a lot, but in a contradictory and confused manner. They can have the impression of loving someone and degrading them at the same time, because drugs create emotional instability. Despite the fact that drug addicts easily express their feelings, but they don't react in an appropriate way to their partner's emotions. This makes them incapable of experiencing an emotional exchange.

Exercise:
Health means being in good physical shape which is linked to practicing cardiovascular endurance activities. To improve our physical condition, we must, minimally do something that will raise our heart rate to 120 beats per minute during 20 minutes three times a week. Walking is the cheapest and most readily accessible sport. We must treat ourselves with an outdoor sport, such as bicycling, cross-country skiing, because fresh air oxygenates our body better. Exercise optimizes our physical and psychological abilities - we will have better blood circulation, better oxygenation, better digestion, better intestinal activities, better sleep patterns and better muscular tone, which leads to higher self esteem. The more we are in shape, the more energy we have to give our partner. In other words, we are more attentive to our partner's needs. Exercises lowers our stress level, leading us to express our feelings more freely through our body.

Hygiene:

We must always be clean while in our partner's presence and make sure that our body does not give off any bad odors. Unpleasant odors makes them feel uncomfortable and they will distance themselves from us . Bad odors therefore automatically cut down on any emotional communication. To favor an exchange of affection, psychologically and physically we must be pleasant for our better half.

Therefore we should take a shower at least once a day and wash our hands often, especially before touching our partner, because our hands are the main source of microbial and virus transmission which causes colds. Furthermore, washing our hands before touching our partner is a sign of respect. She is not an object, but a human being of priceless value. Taking care of our hygiene shows that we have respect for her.

We must brush our teeth and use mouthwash, because bad breath is very unpleasant. We should shave, twice a day if necessary, because fresh hair growth is rough on the skin. Long and dirty nails are unacceptable; they scratch the skin and are disgusting. They must be cut regularly and filed down so they are soft and above all, don't forget to remove excess skin on the hands and feet from corns. This will prevent rough skin. Our body must be soft to the touch from head to toe, because affection and softness are synonymous. In general, if our partner detects unpleasant areas on our body, this will make them less likely to be in physical contact with us.

Avoid using scented soaps or shampoos. Never put cologne on our body, because this will prevent authentic emotional communication and consequently, an exchange of affection. Deodorants, even odorless, shouldn't be used in the presence of our partner, only if we are among others. This is because the odor of sweat plays a vital role in non-verbal communication by transmitting information about our emotional state, thus reassuring our partner.

Finally, the well-being that an exchange of affection gives us, motivates us to stay in shape and take care of ourselves. It is the same for anything else in life. For example, a person who desires to have fun by downhill skiing, must first be physically fit, then buy good equipment and keep them in good shape (sharpening and waxing). An affectionate relationship is the most satisfying activity there is: therefore a lot of energy should be devoted to its preparation. The more we are aware of this and conscientious in the preparation of an affectionate exchange, the more well-being we will get.