Marriage is not just an age-old institution that ensures proper rearing of children. It has many hidden blessings under its umbrella. One of its key benefits is that it keeps us hale and hearty!

Imagine this. You are in your 30s. You are single and still just content at mingling or staying the hell out of the dating game. You eat whatever you want, go to sleep whenever you desire. It might seem all fun and games at this point, but what are the implications of these habits? Quite possibly, an unhealthy appetite and bad time-management. Things that might very well lead to serious health conditions later on. However, imagine you meet your perfect partner and get hitched. All these bad, health-eroding habits go out the window once you get married. Why? Well, there is another person who will be beside you all the time to nag and urging you to eat well, work out, and go to bed timely every day and night of the week!

Now you might be saying, “Hang on! I like being single! I like hanging out with my friends, going to sleep at 4 am and waking up at 12 at noon! I’m living the life and this is the way I want to live!”

Okay, I see what you are getting at. You want to be free. But consider this: something happens, perhaps you lose your job, or you get a demotion. Worse, you have a falling out with your parents. Who is going to support you in such trying times? Only a spouse can truly stand by you and tell you, “Hey, I’m here for you through thick and thin. Don’t give up!”

Won’t that be great? To have your husband and wife say comforting words to your ear when you’re down in the dumps? Won’t that help you get out of depression and get ready to face the world again? That’s what marriage brings to you. It means you are not alone in facing this vast and cunning world. It means now you have a fellow warrior by your side who always has your back.

Now, let us see some of the health benefits that marriages usually result in:

1. Lower blood pressure: A happy marriage is likely to lead to lower blood pressure. Blood pressure often spikes in response to anxiety and stress. A happy, fulfilling marriage reduces stress and thus can help in lowering blood pressure. A fulfilling marriage may also mean less chance of type-2 diabetes and heart diseases.
2. Less chance of depression: If you are single/divorced, chances of sinking into depression is not all that low. However, if you are married and happy with your wife/husband and family, chances of depression reduces. And the absence of depression usually means better health, because depression can be quite harmful to our health and may even lead to suicidal thoughts.
3. Active sex-life: Let’s not mince words. Sex is a fundamental necessity. And being married usually means having regular sex. This is very important. Sex helps in creating bonds and usually accompanies the release of oxytocin, which is beneficial to the health and mind.
4. Healthier activities: Couples in marriage tend to egg each other on to be more active, work out, etc. This may help in taking up healthy activities, such as running and jogging. These activities have beneficial effects on the body and help to keep in shape.
5. Routine lifestyle: Don’t get “routine” mixed with “boring”. Routine lifestyle implies you go to bed at a fixed time, wake up at a fixed time, and eat your meals on set times. Being a family person means following a wholesome daily schedule. This can be very beneficial to your health and your overall well-being.
6. Emotional support leading to healthier thought-process: If you are single, chances of getting emotional support can be much lower than if you are married. Marriage is a covenant where a husband and a wife stick together through every high and low, every up and down. They become each other’s rock. This way, there is greater emotional support, which leads to a healthier life.

The list goes on, but let’s end it here. Of course, it is not appropriate to recommend marriage as a cure-all for ailments. After all, an unhappy, uncooperative marriage may not have the same effects as a happy, fulfilling marriage does. What is very clear, though, is that a happy marriage is very likely to keep your health in tip-top condition!