6 reasons why being in love is good for your health

1. Good for your heart

Just looking at your romantic partner can increase your heart rate and make your heart race three times faster than normal, resulting in an increased blood supply to the body and a workout for your heart. What better way to improve your heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease.

People feeling love are more relaxed and more likely to engage in exercise or other activities beneficial to the heart. Men and women who exercise with a romantic partner are more likely to exercise harder and more often than those who go it alone. It’s thought half of those people who do exercise on their own will quit after one year, but two-thirds of those who train with a loved one will keep it up.

2. Less Stress

When you first fall in love, dopamine, a feel-good chemical, is especially active in your brain. Your dopamine levels may even remain high as your love matures, but your cortisol and serotonin levels will probably return to normal.

After the honeymoon period and when we feel more secure, we will start to feel stress levels go down. This is partly due to oxytocin, another brain chemical that gives you “warm and fuzzy” feelings for your partner and is also good for your health. Being in the presence of someone who greets us with positive regard and care can lower those levels of cortisol (primary stress hormone) and adrenaline and balance your neurochemicals.

3. Lowers Anxiety

Being in a loving happy relationship and feeling close to another person can lessen anxiety. Oxytocin is dubbed the ‘love hormone’ and neuroscience shows that it reduces anxiety and can lower blood pressure. Research shows that oxytocin increases considerably after the first year of being in love!

4. Mental Health

According to the Health and Human Services report, getting married and staying married reduces depression in both men and women and social isolation is clearly linked to higher rates of depression. Marriage also contributes to a reduction in heavy drinking and drug abuse, especially among young adults.

Besides the physical health benefits, being in love works wonders for your mental health and self-esteem. Being a happily married couple, in a loving relationship, will improve overall health, well-being, reduce stress and also strengthen your immune system.

5. Reduces blood pressure

Studies have found that hugging and holding hands releases a hormone that helps to lower stress, reduces your blood pressure, and improves both your mood and tolerance for pain.

The safe and secure feeling of a positive relationship helps to calm anxiety and keeps your blood pressure in check. Sudden negative emotions can lead to feelings that mimic a heart attack, also known as “broken heart syndrome. It stands to reason that the opposite is true too.

6. Reduces signs of ageing

The endorphins released by being in love increase blood flow to the skin, keeping it soft and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Also because stress levels are lower, there is less cortisol in the body – high levels of cortisol cause stress-related acne, pimples, and breakouts.

The support of a good friend can give you a much-needed boost when exercising, trying to eat right and staying 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’s nothing quite like a flurry of compliments to motivate us to maintain our physical appearance.

Sources

• Mental Health – NHS