When you\u2019re officially off the market and settled into a comfortable relationship, you may be more apt to let yourself go\u2014 to wear sweatpants and eat ice cream on the couch with your significant other.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve found someone who loves you unconditionally, so why bother, right? Although your suspicion that a happy relationship could be bad for your waistline is partially correct, there is actually more evidence that suggests a healthy partnership is good for your health.<\/p>\n
While numerous studies have linked stress from a bad relationship to a higher risk of heart disease\u2014 and even death\u2014 healthy relationships can reduce those risks, while boosting life satisfaction and, according to some experts, your net worth.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re not talking strictly about heterosexual married couples, either, says Timothy J. Loving, an associate professor in human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin and co-founder of Science of Relationships.<\/p>\n
The complex link between relationships and health<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWe do know that individuals in positive relationships appear to live longer, [and] are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease and some of those things,\u201d Loving says. \u201cWhat we know less about are the biological mechanisms underlying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
While no one can say for certain exactly how a good relationship positively influences health, there are a few notable possibilities. One lies in a common pet peeve in romantic partnerships.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we live with someone or are around that person for the majority of the time, they\u2019ll nag us when we aren\u2019t doing something in the right way, like getting that lump looked at or seeing the doctor,\u201d Loving says. \u201cFor example, we know that men especially are more likely to take advantage of the health care system when they have a partner pushing them to do those types of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
But nagging certainly isn\u2019t the only mechanism by which positive health effects come from relationships.<\/p>\n
A buffer for the stresses of life<\/b><\/p>\n
Having someone you love and trust in your life can lessen your stress and give you a healthy coping mechanism when life throws curveballs. This is true for both men and women, but it\u2019s this specific perk that Loving says lends the greatest benefits of healthy relationships to men, as they\u2019re more likely to value independence and emotional detachment in traditional Western culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen guys are able to get into a long-term partnership with someone, it kind of creates a safe outlet for those things,\u201d Loving says. \u201cIn this way, men seem to get more of a boon than women, who tend to maintain better support networks as a whole and who may be better at dealing with their emotional responses.\u201d<\/p>\n
These stress-busting effects, for both genders, are not only good for mental health, but also play a role in reducing the risks of chronic disease. A study in the journal of the American Medical Association links the effects of stress to immune and inflammatory responses, depression, and autoimmune, infectious and coronary artery diseases.<\/p>\n
Financial perks of partnerships<\/b><\/p>\n
And as for finances, like mental and physical stress, the potential benefits are reserved for the most well-adjusted relationships.<\/p>\n
Being married increases the likelihood that you\u2019ll have health insurance and access to care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency also says that while married and unmarried adults have about the same rates of falling ill, those who are married are likely to have shorter hospital stays and lower health care costs overall. Pair this with double the earning power, and the financial benefits of being together seem obvious.<\/p>\n
But arguments about money are a notoriously touchy spot\u2014 and the largest predictors of divorce, according to researchers at Kansas State University. There, a study led by Sonya Britt found that the stakes were high in money arguments, regardless of income level or net worth. Good communication, which can help prevent such arguments, is crucial for both financial and romantic health, the study suggests.<\/p>\n
Essentially, not just any romantic relationship will do. The potential for whole-health benefits is there, but primarily for the most well-adjusted partnerships.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mere fact of just checking off the box that says \u2018I\u2019m in a relationship\u2019 doesn\u2019t really tell us much without knowing how the relationship is working,\u201d Loving says. Good relationships, like those replete with trust and sensitivity, are the kind that will offer the biggest health perks, even if they include a bit of nagging.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: Fox News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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