Who is your favorite person with whom to share good news, quiet moments, funny stories, frustrations, or silly observations from the commute to work? We regularly turn to different people for different reasons. On any given day, we engage in a variety of relationships. From coordinating our day with our spouse and children to collaborating with coworkers and saying hello to our favorite grocery cashier, loving relationships sustain us, define us, and keep us healthy.
鈥淧eople involved in loving or philia-based relationships have [fewer] doctor visits, shorter hospital visits, less pain, and more positive emotions,鈥 says Vice-Chair of Education in the at 麻豆学生精品版. 鈥淟oving friendships make us more resilient when hard times come. It鈥檚 one thing to feel good about a relationship, but can that relationship actually be good for our health?鈥
Here are seven proven health benefits from sharing a healthy relationship:
1. We live longer
Studies show that those engaged in positive relationships live longer. 鈥淧eople, particularly men, are healthier when they're married, and they live longer,鈥 Jones says. Experts attribute this phenomenon to factors like reduced stress. In romantic relationships, a partner often gives up bad habits鈥攍ike heavy drinking or smoking鈥攊n support of the relationship. As a result, healthy habits increase longevity.
2. We heal quicker
鈥淕enerally, we see patients with strong social support having better recoveries,鈥 says Benjamin A. Steinberg, MD, an associate professor of medicine in the at 麻豆学生精品版. 鈥淭hat can be from friends or family, or even support from an animal partnership, like a pet.鈥 Steinberg attributes improved recovery to several factors, including lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol.
3. We have lower blood pressure
Finding a love connection can make your heart skip a beat, but the safe and secure feeling of a positive relationship calms anxiety and keeps your blood pressure in check.
鈥淲e know that negative emotions can lead to adverse health outcomes,鈥 Steinberg says. 鈥淚n the most severe but uncommon scenarios, sudden and severe emotional events can mimic a heart attack, also known as 鈥broken heart syndrome.鈥 It stands to reason the opposite is true, as well.鈥
Additionally, people feeling love are more relaxed and more likely to engage in exercise or other activities beneficial to the heart.
4. We bolster our immune system
It never fails鈥攖he moment we experience heightened stress levels, either from work or personal conflicts, a cold is sure to follow. Yet show that people who engage in supportive, positive relationships produce more oxytocin and seem less likely to succumb to the negative effects of stress, anxiety, and depression.
5. We are more physically fit
When it鈥檚 hard to stay motivated to exercise and eat right, the support of a can give you a needed boost to stay on track. New romantic relationships are a boon to weight loss and good health since we want to look and act our very best for that special someone. There鈥檚 nothing quite like a flurry of compliments to motivate us to maintain our physical appearance.
6. We enjoy good heart health
When your main squeeze makes your heart race, it gives your heart a healthy workout. Those loving feelings cause your brain to release dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine, which makes your heart beat faster and stronger in response to such emotions.
7. We feel less pain
Do you remember the movie where the courageous hero endures extensive pain for his true love? His inspiration may be out of sight, but a mental image of her is enough for him to withstand pain for her sake. As it turns out, he probably could. demonstrated that 鈥渢he presentation of romantic partner pictures was sufficient to reduce experimentally induced pain.鈥 By contrast, showing suffering subjects random photos of attractive people didn鈥檛 show any reduction in reaction.
Yes, loving relationships make us happy, but they also keep us healthy. From improving our immune system and blood pressure to helping us heal quicker and enjoy life longer, a happy relationship is life鈥檚 greatest medicine. Go ahead, take that free hug. It鈥檚 good for you.