Sharing your life with someone has health benefits, even if it does mean sharing a bathroom and not always agreeing on how to budget money. You and your partner may have similar hobbies and interests and, possibly, similar lifestyle habits. But what if you don’t share the same health and fitness vision? What if you’re a hardcore exerciser, but your partner prefers to conserve his or her energy by sitting in front of the computer or watching television?
Marriage or being in a long-term committed relationship offers security and companionship but it won’t necessarily help you stay fit. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that married folks are less likely to be physically fit than those who are single. Interestingly, marriage has differing impacts on men versus women. Here are some intriguing findings from the study.
Men, it seems, experience a decline in fitness with time whether they stay single or marry. However, in the study, the drop in fitness was greater in women who married. Single women are more likely to maintain a high fitness level relative to their counterparts who tied the knot. Marriage, it seems, has a negative impact on fitness level for both sexes. It may be that men and women get cozy in their relationship and let their activity level slide. Maybe they’re so comfy that they don’t feel as motivated to grab a pair of weights or do a HIIT routine. Also, when two people are married, they tend to adopt one another’s habits. If one person in the relationship isn’t fitness conscious, the partner may be less inclined to work out.
The situation changes if a guy divorces. When married men divorce, their fitness level rises a bit. However, if they remarry, their fitness again takes a dive. It’s possible that marriage is a bit TOO comfortable for men and women and makes them reluctant to get off the couch. The temporary boost in fitness after a divorce may be a guy’s attempt to get in shape for reentering the dating world. Once guys remarry, they lose the motivation to work out again. Women who divorce, in contrast, show no changes in fitness level afterward.
But Having a Significant Other is Healthy!
Despite a possible lack of physical activity, marriage and long-term relationships are good for the old ticker. One study involving 25,000 people living in England found that men and women were more likely to survive a heart attack if they had a significant other. Also, married folks who had a heart attack left the hospital sooner. Some research even suggests that married folks experience fewer heart attacks and strokes and are less likely to die of any cause. In fact, one study found that men and women who never married were twice as likely to die prematurely.
Marriage, it seems, is particularly beneficial for men from a health perspective. A study of more than 127,000 American males found that men who married and stayed married were healthier and lived longer than their single or divorced counterparts. In fact, Japanese researchers found that single men were three times as likely to die of a heart-related event. Interestingly, the risk of dying prematurely for men is lower even when it’s not a blissful union. Men who have less than happy marriages are also less likely to die early compared to single guys. However, one large study found that a stressful marriage was linked with structural changes to the heart that bode poorly for heart health.
There’s another potential benefit of being in a committed relationship. Research shows people who are married are less likely to engage in risky behavior. Other research shows marriage lowers the risk of depression, although that might not be the case if a marriage isn’t a happy one.
Fitness Still Matters
Longevity and better health outcomes? These are all substantial benefits, but it’s still important to stay physically active, regardless of the type of relationship you’re in or whether you’re in a relationship at all. Not even marriage or other committed relationship can stop the gradual loss of muscle strength and mass that happens with age. After the age of 30, you lose 3 to 5% of your muscle mass per decade. Strength training helps prevent this loss.
When you lose muscle mass later in life, it leads to sarcopenia, the critical age-related loss of muscle. This is one of the leading factors that contribute to frailty in older people. Plus, loss of muscle is harmful to metabolic health as muscle helps to speed up metabolism and helps remove blood glucose from the bloodstream. Therefore, exercise and strength-training lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. In fact, a study showed that a 10% increase in muscle mass was linked with a 12% reduction in pre-diabetes.
Good News about Marriage and Fitness
In a study that looked at retired people, researchers found that those with physically active spouses during retirement were more likely to exercise themselves. It seems that setting a good example for a spouse or significant other by doing regular workouts can have a positive impact on their exercise habits. So, modeling good behaviors may, over the long term, help your spouse or significant other increase their fitness level too.
The bottom line? Get your significant other involved in exercise. It’s good for your health and for theirs. Find a sports activity you can both take part in. Take brisk walks together first thing in the morning and after meals. Set aside space in your home for a workout room so you can strength train and do HIIT workouts together. The couple who exercises together may live longer and be healthier too! So, get your spouse off the couch and help them find their fitness too.
References:
Am J Epidemiol. 2011 Feb 1; 173(3): 337–344.
Harvard Health Publishing. “The health advantages of marriage”
BMC Public Health. 2013; 13: 1197.
Harvard Health Publishing. “Marriage and men’s health”
Harvard Health Publishing. “Preserve your muscle mass”
WebMD. “Building Muscle Mass May Lower Diabetes Risk”
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