As we approach the end of the year, the topic of getting in better shape typically comes up. You might be thinking that changing your diet or exercising more often makes logical sense if you want to get in better shape, but in actuality, there is something much more powerful that improves overall health.

According to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), married people were healthier for nearly every measure of health. They live longer lives; they suffer less from heart disease, back pain, headaches, and even serious psychological distress. What’s more, most married people are less likely to get involved in smoking and heavy drinking. They even fared better on their depression tests than when they were still single. While both married men and women live longer, happier, healthier, and wealthier lives, husbands are usually the ones to gain greater health benefits. Wives, on the other hand, gain greater financial advantages. Married couples not only cope with psychological stress better, they are typically more emotionally stable and experience greater intimacy. However, while studies show that there are health benefits in being married, the health benefits alone should never be the primary motivation to get married nor will it sustain a marriage over the long run, there must be something else.

That something else is a mutual commitment to each other and the institution of marriage. The couples, who stay together, not only pray together, but also define the love and happiness they share as a product of hard work and dedication. Some of the most successful marriages I know are the couples who consistently work on understanding how they can help their spouse become their very best; they see their spouse as their best friend and have compatible interests, values and goals.

This holiday season, as many will celebrate Christmas by the giving and receiving of gifts, remember that having a spouse is a gift from God. So if you are thinking about getting in better shape, and being married is part of your plans for 2016, then it sure makes sense to be intentional about doing the things that will give your marriage the best chances to succeed.