US couple say swinging is the secret to lifelong passion

The couple want to debunk some of the myths around their lifestyle. Photo / 123RF

Most married couples struggle to keep the spark alive.

But this husband and wife claim they have found the secret to lifelong passion.

Parents Holli and Michael Bell, from Los Angeles, California, say swinging has made their relationship even stronger, reports the Daily Mail.

Holli said swinging has "allowed her to be herself" and "explore her own sexuality".

"Michael and I communicate everything without judgement and that's so liberating," she said. "Michael can tell me if he finds another woman attractive and vice versa."

"Every couple thinks about these things but it's such a rare gift to be able to share that with your partner. It's very freeing."

Michael added: "Swinging has strengthened our bond. I do this with Holli because I love her."

He said he and his wife "play"with other couples or other single women but are emotionally monogamous and are not "looking to fall in love with anyone else."

The 38-year-old said they have a "great time" on Tinder and have found "so many new sexual partners" on the app.

Michael, who has a 12-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, was already a swinger when he met Holli shortly after her divorce in September 2009.

Holli said: "I asked Michael to take me to a [swingers] party with him but he wanted to make sure I felt totally comfortable before we explored anything together."

The couple discussed the idea for several months before Michael brought Holli to her first party, agreeing on rules and boundaries ahead of time.

Holli said: "At our first party together, all I did was kiss another girl in front of Michael because that was what we had discussed beforehand. After that first kiss, I felt excited but I wasn't ready to jump right in with the lifestyle."

The couple initially experimented with other women before building up to swapping partners with other couples.

Holli added: 'Our communication was so good and Michael and I talked about everything that we got to an amazing point where we were able to truly experiment with each other."

The couple now run a website where they coach other couples who want to experiment with swinging. They also work full-time for Playboy Radio as experts on dating and open relationships.

Michael said: "It's a sad fact that many people understand infidelity but not open non-monogamy.

'Swinging is about honesty, not lying to your partner. We want to debunk some of the myths around our lifestyle."

The couple, who are also parents to Holli's 14-year-old son from a previous relationship, said their lifestyle does not impact their family life.

Michael said: "A non-swinging couple has sex with each other and there's no reason they should be discussing their sex life with their children. Same thing with us.

"If our kids found out about our lifestyle, then of course we would talk to them so they know the truth.

"Our hope is that our children learn from us open, honest communication, true love and that Holli and I are emotionally committed to each other."