A Longer Life and Greater Health: The Rewards of Marriage

Damian Miles

The health benefits of being married are huge. Studies have shown that if you are a single man you have an increased risk of dying at an earlier age than if you had been married. If you are married however you have a much higher chance of living a healthier and happier life. A recent study showed that a married male had a 9% lower risk of dying in any given year than a single male. For females the figure was 3%. Why is this? It could be the social support of the partner, or having someone to look out for them. Or it could be that a single person has a more excessive lifestyle. Married men are more likely to exercise, eat breakfast and have regular health check ups and be less likely to smoke. Single people are more likely to suffer mental health problems such as depression and loneliness. The positive effects of marriage are dependent however on having a good marriage. An unhappy relationship actually increases your blood pressure when with your spouse. Your blood pressure then goes down when you are away from your spouse. In a good marriage the opposite is true. Marital stress doubles the chance of diabetes, or a heart attack. A good marriage boosts your immune system and reduces your risk of heat disease by reducing your stress levels. The benefits are better physical health, more resistance to infection, fewer infections, and a reduced likelihood of dying from cancer, from heart disease, from all major killers. All this results in a longer and happier life. If you have a good marriage you will have less depression, less anxiety disorders, less phobias, and fewer injuries due to accidents. So if being happily married is good for you, what can you do to make sure it is good, and that it stays that way? Here are a few tips. (1) Communicate. E.g. talk to each other every day, setting aside time to do this without distractions. (2) Say nice, complementary things to your spouse, showing them that they are appreciated. (3) Remind yourself each day why you are so lucky to be with your partner. (4) Plan a long term future together. Make this something that you are really both very excited about. E.g. "retiring in 7 years time, and retiring to a beach front villa in Miami, where we will both scuba dive together, fully explore the everglades, and become expert dancers on the local salsa scene". (5) Avoid rejecting your partner. Watch out for when your partner is making a particular point of reaching out to you, and make sure you respond positively. (6) Develop your own little couple habits, words, and actions. Like calling your partner "My Gorgeous." (7) Be open and honest with your spouse. Being married is better for you in the following ten ways. (1) It's safer, (2) It can save your life, (3) It can save your kid's life, (4) You will earn more money, (5) You will get much richer, (6) There is less chance of promiscuity, (7) You'll have better mental health, (8) You'll be happier, (9) Your kids will love you more, and (10) You'll have better and more frequent sex. While being in a good healthy married relationship is best for you, being in a good and healthy non-married long term relationship also has similar health benefits. BUT most of the studies done have all shown that the health benefits of being married are much greater than the health benefits of cohabiting. So do you want to be happy and healthy? What do you do? Simple. Go and find a great husband or wife! What could be simpler! 

Damian Miles is a writer of ezine articles and ebooks, on the five key elements of any successful life: health, wealth, happiness, love, and security. Through his website http://dlmiles.co.uk he runs his weekly ezine and sells his ebooks and eproducts. His ezine "Think Yourself Fitter in Thirty Days." His ezine teaches how to develop the right attitude to health and fitness, an attitude that will almost guarantee you set and achieve your health and fitness goals. Damian is currently developing a workshop on Happiness, and training to run the 2007 London Marathon.

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