This couple, married for eight years, was asked by Simply Her magazine to hold hands as often as they could for seven days. What were the results of this challenge? Read on to find out.

The Couple:

Desmond Tan, 37, a district manager, and Winnie Chong, 37, an administrator, have been together for 17 years and married for eight. Between their busy, hectic jobs and looking after their active five-year-old daughter Shannon, Desmond and Winnie have very little time for romance.

When they were dating, they held hands all the time, but after they got married, the handholding became less frequent.

The Challenge:

We asked Desmond and Winnie to hold hands as often as they could for seven days, and tell us at the end of the week if it improved their marriage. Winnie kept a journal for the duration of the challenge; here, she shares the experience.

Conclusion:

“This challenge has made me realise how important holding hands is to a relationship. It’s probably as important as hugging!

"Our marriage has definitely become stronger as a result of this challenge. And Desmond and I feel a lot happier as a couple. We’ve always been close, but now we’re closer, and definitely more affectionate with each other.

"At the start of the challenge, holding hands felt a bit weird and at times, even a little forced, but as the days passed it felt completely natural. Desmond feels the same way, and says he wishes we’d been more affectionate prior to this challenge.

"We’re looking forward to holding hands more often from now on!”



Find out what other couples think of holding hands on the next page.

Spotted! These four handholding couples caught our eye on a recent trip into town.

Alan Chong, 35, engineer, and Lin Chuyan, 28, accountant, have been together for eight years. They have a four-month-old daughter.

“Whenever Chuyan and I hold hands, we’re taken back to our courtship days,” says Alan.

Jacob Palm, 36, purchaser, and Tracy Tan, 29, trader, have been together for eight years. They have an 11-month-old son.

“We’re inspired by those sweet, loved-up-looking elderly couples. We tell ourselves we must be like them when we get to their age!” Jacob says.

Julius Chan, 30, loss adjustor, and Caron Ng, 30, product manager, have been together for two years.

“Sometimes, when we hold hands in the mall, I’m actually dragging him to where I want to go!” jokes Caron.

Remigius Chan, 34, banker, and Jeanne Lim, 35, business executive, have been together for 14 years. They have a one-year-old daughter.

“Holding hands bonds us together… We hold hands even while pushing our daughter’s pram!” says Jeanne.

1.Get the April 2010 issue of Simply Her to find out how Desmond and Winnie fared on their weeklong handholding challenge. Simply Her, published by SPH Magazines is available at all newsstands now. 2.Madeline Lin is a features writer at Simply Her magazine by SPH Magazines. 3.Check out more stories at Simply Her online, www.simplyher.com.sg