Two widowers in their 70s met at the gym. Here's how they keep their relationship strong now that they're married.

• Former widow and widower Donna Sasse, 78, and Jim Theodores, 76, got married in September 2023.
• The super-fit pair met in the gym at their golf and country club.

Relatives of newlyweds Donna Sasse and Jim Theodores know better than to bother them on a Sunday morning.

The couple, aged 78 and 76 respectively, have made it known that they enjoy private time during that period — and that any phone calls will automatically go to voicemail.

"We have an active sex life," Sasse told Insider, adding that it involved "no pills" such as the drugs Viagra or Cialis.

She said that they had a "very strong" sexual attraction and it was "important" to put sex on the calendar.

"Sunday is our day because we're so busy other times," the 78-year-old went on. "You have to find time to create the right mood."

Theodores said they don't swing from the chandeliers or "look for fancy nightgowns and stuff." Instead, he pointed out, "We are very much aware of our warts so we act like ourselves and enjoy each other."

Both of the newlyweds were left widowed after many decades of marriage

The duo, who live in northern California, tied the knot on September 27, 2023 — four years after meeting in the gym of their local golf club.

They said they started chatting because their elliptical machines happened to be next to each other.

"We talked about generalities, and eventually we got around to talking about the loss of our spouses and our situations," Theodores said.

Sasse's husband died in 2006 at the age of 63, and Theodores' wife died in 2018 at the age of 74. Both had cancer.

"There was a lot of pain and suffering," Theodores said. "But, as time went by, Donna was very good about helping me understand that there's no guilt or shame in surviving something like that."

"It might sound trite, but she made me realize that life is for living at any age," he added.

They began their relationship as friends before, Theodores said, "it evolved into something romantic."

Sasse told Insider that she'd been on a "couple of dates" with other men following the death of her husband. She said that none had worked out.

The life coach recalled a "disastrous" coffee date with a man who'd reached out via a dating app.

"I asked him if he played golf like me, and he said, 'Well, I have golf clubs in my garage,'" Sasse said. "Then he said, 'I don't play anymore, but I really want to go on a cruise, and I'm looking for someone to come with me.'"

Sasse said that she felt that her future love was out there somewhere

"I said, 'I'm so sorry, you have the wrong person. I'm way too active and would go crazy on a cruise,' and then I wished him good luck."

But, she said, she never gave up hope of finding Mr. Right for a second time around. "I thought, 'I want to meet someone who is handsome, healthy, works out and understands what it's like to be widowed.'"

She said she had hit the jackpot with Theodores because he checked every box. "He plays golf every morning, he's good-looking, and he really makes me laugh," Sasse added.

Theodores told Insider that not only did he find his wife "beautiful," he had benefited from "her optimism and positive outlook on life."

"We are very cognizant of the fact that we have a 'use by' stamp on us somewhere," the 76-year-old said. "But our job is to stay healthy and enjoy as much time as we have left together.

"We're not going to sit there, looking in the mirror, thinking, 'Oh God, look at this gray hair or whatever. We're just going to pull our Levis on and do the same things we did in our 40s and 50s."

Sasse said that Theodores contacted the closest members of her family to seek "their permission" before he proposed. He presented her with a yellow diamond engagement ring at her 78th birthday party in April.

"He went down on one knee," Sasse said, adding that the gesture was "very sweet and romantic."

The couple has a touching routine every evening that strengthens its bond

The wedding last month took place in a barn at their home. There were 33 guests. "The barn was a bit dinged up, just like us," Theodores joked.

As for their recipe for a good marriage, the couple said that — as well as scheduling sex — it was necessary to "slow-dance" every night.

"Before we said 'goodbye' after a date, I would put on a song, and we would slow-dance before Jim left," Sasse said. "Now that we're living together, we do the exact same thing before bed."