The Power of Love: How Marriage Can Positively Affect Your Health
Marriage is a beautiful union that has been celebrated since ancient times. Aside from the emotional and spiritual benefits of marriage, there are also numerous physical benefits that come with being in a loving union.
In this article, we’ll explore how marriage can positively affect your health and wellbeing.
General Health
When you’re married, you’re more likely to pay attention to your health and wellbeing.
- You become accountable not only to yourself but also to your spouse.
- You share daily meals and often, a similar diet, which can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
- When you’re in a relationship, you’re also more likely to encourage each other to exercise and stay active. According to a study published by the American Journal of Health Promotion, couples who are married have a higher likelihood of sticking to a healthy lifestyle.
- This is due to the fact that spouses hold one another accountable. When one spouse falls back on their exercise routine or begins eating unhealthy, the other can offer encouragement and support, leading to positive changes.
Less Risky Behaviors
Being in a committed relationship often means that you are no longer living the single life, indulging in risky behaviors that could harm your health. When you’re in a healthy marriage, you’re more likely to give up bad habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol, or drug use.
- The responsibility and care a marriage provides help strengthen your willpower to abandon these harmful habits.
- One significant way a marriage can help eliminate risky behavior is through encouraging each other to make healthier decisions.
- When you know that someone else’s wellbeing depends on your decisions and actions, it makes it easier to prioritize making healthy choices. Your partner can help you adopt healthy practices, such as avoiding fast food, drugs, or smoking cigarettes.
Longevity
Research shows that married couples have a longer life expectancy than single individuals. Being in a stable and loving relationship often means adopting a healthier lifestyle, which promotes longevity.
- Married couples tend to take care of each other better and are more aware of their partner’s health status.
- The increased social support and reduced social isolation of marriage are known to reduce stress levels, which scientists believe can extend longevity.
- Chronic stress can be detrimental to our health, accelerating aging processes and increasing susceptibility to diseases.
- Simply put, being in a happy relationship with someone you love can help reduce stress levels and promote longevity.
Happy Aging
As humans, our insecurities tend to grow with age. But being in a marriage can provide a sense of security that promotes happy aging.
- Having someone to grow old with means that you no longer have to worry about physical appearance or acceptance from others.
- A healthy relationship bond with a significant other can help boost self-esteem.
- A happy marriage also means that you have someone to share the physical and emotional changes that come with aging.
- Marital communication and companionship allow both partners to navigate aging together.
- This bond can lessen the emotional stress and improve mental health, resulting in a happier aging experience.
Faster Recovery from Illness
When you’re sick, having a caring and loving partner can make all the difference in your recovery.
- Emotional support, physical comfort, and assistance with medication and consultations are known to promote faster healing times.
- When you’re married, you have someone who can offer all of this, reducing the burden of sickness.
- Research shows that patients with a support system such as family caregivers have shorter hospital stays and recover more quickly than those without that support.
- A marriage provides a support system, which is valuable during the recovery period.
Negative Physical Effects of a Stressful Marriage
Although there are numerous physical benefits to marriage, a stressful marriage can have the opposite effect. Studies show that when stress is present in a marriage, it can lead to physical health problems.
Weakened Immune System
When couples are consistently in conflict, cortisol levels, which help regulate the immune system, begin to rise, and T-cell production lowers. This weakening of the immune system makes the body more susceptible to diseases and infections.
Stress not only makes your body weak and vulnerable but can also induce negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, and depression.
Increased Heart Disease Rate
Studies have shown that when stress is present in a marriage, there is an increased risk of developing heart disease.
- Stress works to increase heart rate and blood pressure, and this can affect the cardiovascular system negatively, increasing the chances of developing heart disease.
- This can also lead to high cholesterol levels and high body mass index, which both contribute to heart disease.
Diabetes Risk Increases
Diabetes is a lifelong disease that affects the body’s ability to produce insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. Studies have revealed that psychological stress is a risk factor for type two diabetes, and unresolved conflicts can lead to chronic stress levels.
Diabetes risk also increases when someone develops an unhealthy lifestyle from stress, such as neglecting exercise and making poor eating choices.
Slower Healing from Illness or Injury
Physical healing takes longer when the body is in a high-stress state, and this happens to both mental and physical wounds.
Negative emotions and tension can slow down the healing process, which is why healing from injury or surgery can take longer when in an unhealthy marriage. Essentially, when there is nothing but stress in the environment, healing takes longer.
Harmful Habits
Stress not only makes the body weak, but it can also lead to harmful habits. When someone is unhappy in their marriage, they are more likely to indulge in drugs, smoking, alcohol, and even suicidal thoughts.
Essentially, when there is no longer hope in the relationship, harmful pursuits take over. In conclusion, the health benefits of a happy and healthy marriage cannot be ignored.
The emotional support, companionship, and commitment of a marriage can be the difference between a healthy life and an unhealthy one. But when stress and tension are present in a marriage, the opposite is true.
For healthy living, it’s important to focus not only on your personal health but also on the health of your relationship. In conclusion, this article has explored the significant ways that marriage can affect a person’s physical health positively and negatively.
When two individuals are in a loving and supportive union, they have each other to rely on, leading to a healthier lifestyle, increased longevity, and a happier aging experience. In contrast, when a marriage is filled with stress, it can have adverse physical effects, leading to weakened immune systems, increased heart disease rates, and harmful habits.
Overall, this article demonstrates the importance of cultivating healthy relationships in promoting individual physical wellness.
