7 Unexpected Ways Your Life Partner Can Impact Your Health

If they have a good workout routine

Speaking of exercise, studies have also revealed that a partner with a good exercise regimen might be just what you need to become more motivated in terms of your health, and even life goals. Here’s an example to understand how this works: when a woman complied with the CDC’s recommendations to workout 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity, her life partner’s chances to meet the same requirements increased by 70 percent, compared to his male counterparts whose wives or partners did not engage in any physical activities, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

On the other hand, when the male side of the couple achieved the recommended amounts of exercise, the wife was only 40 percent more likely to meet the recommended levels as well. Could it be that women have a greater influence on men than vice versa? Let us know what you think in the comments.

If they work overtime

Not sure what to think about this one. Surprisingly or not, according to a study conducted by the University of Texas, women whose life partners worked more than 40 hours a week were healthier than their counterparts whose husbands worked fewer hours. One of the reasons for their better health condition might be their financial situation. The study involved around 3,800 men and women from various backgrounds.

However, the same cannot be said about the husbands of women working overtime. In fact, men whose spouses worked more than 40 hours a week had more health problems than the husbands whose wives had a normal 9 to 5 working schedule. According to researchers, “while a wife’s longer schedule doesn’t necessarily translate into appreciably more money, it may leave their husband with more homebound responsibility and less time to work out.”

If they tend to be helpful

Help from your spouse can translate into help for your heart. I’m talking about both physical and emotional help. People with partners always willing to give them a helping hand reported lower deposits of calcium buildup in their arteries (which increases the risk of coronary artery disease and makes you more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes). This was in comparison to people with partners who provided inconsistent help, and thus, higher deposits of calcium buildup, according to a 2019 research by the University of Utah.

When both members of the couple felt their significant others were unsupportive and aloof, their calcium levels went through the roof, along with their risk for cardiovascular diseases; when only one member of the pair felt they did not receive the help they wanted, the calcium buildup was slightly lower and when neither spouse considered the other was unhelpful, they reported the lowest calcium levels, thus, the lowest heart risks.

Besides your partner, check out the Top 7 Strangest Things That Can Affect Your Heart Health.