The Conditioned Couple

How does marriage affect your health? More than you know!

God told Adam that it was not good for him to be alone. Then, God did one of the riskiest things ever. He made woman.

But before woman came, Adam was quite self-sufficient–he ruled the garden. He fed himself; he never had to shower; and he was free to roam wherever, whenever. Let’s face it, the guy was living in bachelor paradise.

If the story ended there, our lives today would be just a little different: No steak and no sex. Fortunately, there is more to the story.

Adam opened up his eyes and saw a gorgeous naked woman lying next to him. I’m willing to bet at that moment, he felt good about God’s plans. Real good.

God in His infinite wisdom knew there was something far more valuable for men than just freedom to roam and an unlimited supply of mangos.

But how does marriage translate to good or better health? It will blow your mind to know the numerous studies on the link between the health of married people versus those just living together.

By sharing your entire life with your wife and being a part of her entire life, the two of you can experience the maximum in every area of your lives that is possible.

Here are some things that my wife and I do together that I believe have contributed to better physical, mental and spiritual health for us–and will for you too.

Pray together. This is probably the most valuable and important exercise of our lives together. It is very difficult to be angry with one another or allow divisions to creep in when you share prayer time together. It solidifies your union in the Lord, helps strengthen your prayer life and keeps the two of you focused on the issues of prayer you are concerned with.

Exercise together. My wife likes kickboxing, so she attends her classes without me, but we usually get two or three workouts in the gym together each week. By exercising regularly, we get the needed stimulus for releasing stress and pressure from business while enjoying each other outside of the home. It keeps us connected by encouraging each other with an outside interest.

Give space. We find it very liberating to have a marriage where we give each other the space to be ourselves. Sometimes by postponing a confrontation by making a date to address a heated topic saves a lot of built-up anger or frustrations that can develop between us.

Build together. We have learned through struggles and difficult times how to grow together. When a couple shares the roads of resistance together and learns to wait out the storms of life together, the journey becomes more often than not a mountaintop experience.

God’s purpose for our lives as men is to be the recipients of good mental, physical and spiritual health by nurturing and investing in the marriage bonds He intended for us to enjoy.