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Married life is like the Internet: When it works, it's brilliant. But when there's a glitch in a happy marriage, it makes you feel crazy because you know how good it can be. For those inevitable moments in even the best marriages . . . when you wonder, "Why did we get married?" here's a short remember-why-marriage-is-great-for-you list.:
- You enjoy life more, have lower blood pressure, and are healthier overall. Why is being happily married so healthy? One biggie: You give each other emotional support through good times and bad, which makes your bodies run better. Another: You encourage each other to see a doc when you should.
- You'll live longer. Marriage extends guys' warranty for a long life by as much as 30%, and women's by 20%. Why? For both sexes, married life cuts down on wild-and-crazy behavior (unless you're Tiger Woods or Jesse James).
- You won't gain a lot of post-divorce weight. This is a bigger threat for guys. Divorce can act as a "weight shock" for some men, triggering big-enough weight gains to cause health problems.
- You get some of your best exercise in bed. A happy marriage means more sex, right? Right! A mere 25 minutes of sex -- figure 10 minutes of foreplay, 15 minutes for the main event -- burns 88 calories if you're a 150-pound woman; 106 calories for a 180-pound guy. That's what you'd expend doing a light workout on a rowing machine or stationary bike. Arriving at the Big O? It gets your heart pounding as much as bounding up a tall flight of stairs.
Medically reviewed in January 2020.
