Couples are more likely to give up smoking, visit the gym, or lose weight if they get healthy together, a study has found.

People are better at taking up healthy lifestyle habits if their partners turn over a new leaf too, the research shows.

Scientists looked at 3,722 couples, either married or living together, who were enrolled into the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Elsa).

They found that participants were more successful at swapping bad habits for good ones if their partners made the change as well.

The more people can help and encourage each other, the better

For instance, among women who smoked, half managed to quit if their partner gave up at the same time. Trying to quit on their own proved much more difficult – 17 per cent of those whose partners were already non-smokers succeeded, and just eight per cent of those whose partners were unreformed regular smokers.

Lead researcher Sarah Jackson, from University College London, said: “Now is the time to make New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking, take exercise, or lose weight. And doing it with your partner increases your chances of success.”

Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s head of health information, said: “Making lifestyle changes can make a big difference to our health and cancer risk.

“And this study shows that when couples make those changes together, they are more likely to succeed.

“Getting some support can help people take up good habits. For example, if you want to lose weight and have a friend or colleague who’s trying to do the same thing, you could encourage each other by joining up for a run or a swim at lunchtime or after work.

“And local support such as stop smoking services are very effective at helping people to quit.

“Keeping healthy by not smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight and being active can all lower the risk of cancer, and the more people can help and encourage each other, the better.”

The study, published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine, was funded by Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, and the US National Institute on Ageing.