How To Extend Your Life Like The World's Longest Living Couple
Marriage is a key to longevity, and the world's longest living couple is loving proof. A major goal (and hope) for many Americans, is to live a long, prosperous, and healthy life. A lot of that dream has to do with the genes you inherit, and much of the rest has to do with your lifestyle and the choices you make. One ingredient for longevity is marriage, and we have the most perfect love story to tell you about, based on the world's longest living couple, with a combined age of 214 years and married for 79 years. Read on to learn more, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.
They set an amazing example for younger generations
Julio Cesar Mora Tapia and Waldramina Maclovia Quinteros Reyes make notably the oldest couple in the world. With a combined age of 214 years between them, Tapia and Reyes proudly boasted their marital success is the result of "love, maturity, and mutual respect" (via Insider).
Their story is one that movies are made of. Both teachers in their younger days, the two love birds met and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Unfortunately, their parents disapproved of the plan, but regardless, they followed their intuitions and romantically decided to marry each other in secrecy, only including their best friends and godparents (via CNN).
"It was not easy because our relatives did not have a good relationship, but with time and patience, we were able to unite them, and we became an example and the best reference for the younger generations," the couple previously revealed to Guinness World Records (via Insider).
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They were a mature, loving couple from the start of their marriage, which helped them grow
The couple got to know each other for an entire seven years before getting hitched in 1941, establishing a strong foundation. They also noted to Guinness World Records, "The love and maturity that we had as a couple from the beginning of the marriage allowed us to know each other and grow emotionally to define our future."
They shared hobbies and interests, and valued family
Tapia and Reyes also clearly believed in cute date nights and plans, as they enjoyed gardening, going to the cinema, and sharing dinners with loved ones. They sent their five children to college, and their large family includes 11 grandkids, 21 great-grandkids, and nine great-great-grandkids.
"Family unity under the rules of love, mutual respect, honest work, and proper education based on family values are the keys to healthy coexistence," the couple said in a statement (via CNN).
Of course, all love stories come to an end, but the memories last forever. Tapia passed away in 2020, and Reyes reportedly still lives in Ecuador (via research from Eden's Gate).
Related: "Unhealthy" Workout Habits To Quit In Your 60s, Trainer Says
Research reveals married men are three times less likely to pass away from cardiovascular disease
Harvard Health discussed a survey that reveals men who are married are healthier than men who have always been single, widowed, or divorced. Researchers surveyed 127,545 adults and found that married men live longer than men who are not. The study also discovered that males who tie the knot after 25 years of age are better off than those who marry younger, and the longer timeframe in which men remain married, they are better off than those men who are single. The report also states scientists in Japan revealed that it's three times more likely for men who never got hitched to pass away from cardiovascular disease than men who are married.
Clearly, a marriage has to be a happy, solid one in order to walk hand in hand into the sunset and beyond as Tapia and Reyes did. But if you've found your forever soulmate, you may just have extended your life and are in for your own love story when you tie the knot.
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