Well I did walk up to BB and compliment her on doing a long exercise program today.
Back up a little. Earlier you quoted yourself as saying to BB "you seem distant." My suggestion was to do the quick hug, touch, whatever INSTEAD OF commenting on her mood. To do the touch AT THAT MOMENT, not later. To interact with her physically rather than verbally.
By commenting on her mood you let her know you noticed it, that she "got" to you, and I don't think that's a particularly good thing. By simply going up to her and giving her a quick pat that she doesn't even have time to respond to and DOING IT WITHOUT ANY COMMENT you leave her wondering. AND THEN LET HER WONDER. I think a quick physical interaction will make her feel good, and because there are no words attached to it, she will have a harder time talking herself out of feeling good. It will be outside the verbal arena.
As for commenting when she's exercising... I just wish you could walk up to her and maybe pat her hip or tummy or whatever she's working on and just make an appreciative noise or smile or wink or something WITHOUT USING ANY WORDS. The words seem to set up a reverberation in her head-- should she agree, should she argue, what's he up to, what does he want-- a touch with no comment is below the mental radar, as it were.
