Married Couples Less Apt to Exercise Than Singles

When you say your vows in marriage, maybe the most famous part is “in sickness and in health”… Unfortunately, there may be a little more sickness than health, since research shows that we married types don’t exercise as much as people who are single.

A poll commissioned by the UK Department of Health found that married couples are much less likely to get in the two and half hours of weekly physical activity recommended by UK health experts than singles are.

Twenty-seven percent of the adults who were questioned met exercise guidelines. Women beat the men by 10 percent as more likely than men to stay fit. When you considered those people who were married, 76 percent of the men and 63 percent of the women did not meet the recommended fitness level.

The speculation on why this is so is pretty obvious. Dr. Len Almond, visiting professor at St. Mary’s University College who helped develop the adult activity guidelines, says:

“Because married people are often older and have more responsibility for children and other factors, it could be these responsibilities which are curtailing their activity patterns. Weekends are a golden opportunity to take the family out – especially for married families – to get out and enjoy a natural environment – which has also been shown to have additional benefits.”

(via: The Telegraph)

Also Read:

Do Skinnier Wives Make for Happier Marriages?

Strained Marriages Have Worse Effect on Women’s Health

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