Marriage and Wellness: Their Intricate Connection

Is marriage beneficial to a person’s wellness? Some people say that it is good for a person. Others say that it depends on who you get married to. The kind of marriage that you have helps you determine whether you will be ill or robust, happy or sad.  And there are myriad of stories and studies to back up those statements.

Happy marriages increase lifespan, while a stressful marriages can increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke. If you are married and happy, then that’s great. If you are single and happy, then that’s still great.

Benefits of a happy marriage

The quality of marriage impacts the status of health. In a happy marriage, individuals become healthier and live longer. Here are some of the amazing benefits of a happy marriage.

1. Encourages safe behavior and healthy lifestyle

Married couples’ propensity for engaging in a risky endeavor is significantly low because they are aware that there is someone who is dependent on them. Happily married people eat well and maintain healthy lifestyles.

2. Faster recovery from illness

Happily married people recover fast because they have a loving spouse, patiently caring for them through their period of illness

A study shows that individuals significantly feel less pain while holding their partner’s hands. An image or a touch of a loved one has a physically calming effect. It eases the pain to the same degree as paracetamol or narcotics. It also shows that wounds heal faster in people with a happy marital relationship.

3. Less possibility of developing mental disorders

Happily married couples have a low rate of depression and are less likely to develop a mental illness. Something is amazing in a loving marital relationship that helps married people stay on track. Happy marital relationship eradicates the problem of loneliness and social isolation.

4. Longer life span

Research shows that having a happy marital life effectively adds a couple of extra years to a person’s life. A loving marital relationship protects couples against premature death.

Long-married couples are emotionally & physically interdependent

Longtime couples do not just look similar. They can also become biologically similar as they grow old. Couples begin to mirror each other’s physical and emotional conditions as they advance in age. Here are some of the reasons why long-married couples are interdependent, emotionally and physically.

1. Sharing similar habits on exercise and diet

Spouses of diabetic persons will have a  higher risk of acquiring diabetes because they share bad habits like poor diet.

However, a person who shows an ideal example by regularly exercising can influence the other partner to do the same. A husband who is fond of exercise will more likely influence his wife to join in. Having a fitness activity, ballroom dancing, or taking regular runs together can boost a couple’s intimate relationship as well.

2. Playing the role of caregiver

A spouse’s health will affect the health of the other. For example, the impact of caring for a stroke survivor and a depressed person can adversely affect the physical and mental health of the caregiver spouse.

3. Influencing one’s perspective on life

If your spouse is an optimist, you will likely become an optimist too. Having an optimistic spouse will help you develop a positive perspective on life.

Takeaway

Health and marriage are intimately related. Happily married couples have low mortality. Marriage has a tremendous impact on the total wellness of a person than other relationships because married couples spend time together on several activities, such as relaxing, eating, exercising, sleeping, and  doing household chores together.

Our bodies and brains are immensely affected by a marital relationship. Falling in love impacts areas of the brain and produces a feeling of euphoria. Undeniably, being in love makes you feel happy and healthy. Conversely, it explains why a breakup is detrimental.

Brittany Miller
Brittany Miller is a marriage counselor. She is happily married and has two kids. Her happy married life encourages her to share her insights about marriage, love, relationship, and health. She is a blogger for physician billing company Houston.