Hugging Is Good For Your Health

Healthy or Social?

Is hugging good for your health or more of a social thing? I am a natural hugger and the past few years of pandemic social distancing have been difficult for me. It wasn’t until I was no longer able to hug my family and friends, that I realized just how important touching was to my well-being. Thankfully restrictions are being lifted and we have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The first time I was able to hug our kids and grandkids, I thought I would cry – with happiness!

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I recently needed a hip replacement. My surgeon did my other hip 3 years ago and I totally trust him, so I went back to him. On my first visit when he came into the room, instead of a handshake, he gave me a hug. Although I had been through the surgery before, it had been a while and I had doubts and questions. His caring hug made me almost instantly at ease. I began to wonder why, so I did some research and found there are health and healing benefits of hugging.

Medical Evidence of Hugging Benefits

Hugging someone may make you and the recipient happy, relieve loneliness and lessen stress. There are medical answers for some of this – hugs help the brain and body produce feel-good hormones:

• Dopamine: It is the pleasure hormone that makes an individual feel good.
• Serotonin: It is the antidepressant hormone that elevates mood, controls anxiety, and reduces feelings of loneliness.
• Oxytocin: It is the love hormone that relieves stress and boosts heart health. It also helps in losing weight, lowers blood pressure, fights diseases, increases libido, reduces stress, and gives us a feeling of comfort. Oxytocin has also been shown to boost the immune system.

Hugging More Frequently and Longer is Better For Your Body

Does the length of the hug make any difference?

According to research:

• A 10-second hug helps the body fight infections, eases depression, and lessens tiredness.
• A 20-second hug tempers the stress of conflict, relieves blood pressure, and ensures a healthy heart.
• Increasing the hug ratio results in reduced blood pressure, decreased cortisol, improved healing, reduced cravings, and better immunity.
• Hugging a newborn child increases the baby’s weight and improves its overall development.

How Does Hugging Babies Help Them Become Well-Adjusted Adults

Touch is critical to infants, especially in their early stages of life as it helps them bond with others as they get older. Skin-to-skin contact such as a hug between a mother and newborn yields important physical and psychological benefits for the child, including gaining weight faster, developing stronger immune systems, crawling and walking sooner, sleeping more soundly, and crying less than babies deprived of close physical contact.

Children who are given plenty of physical affection show more task-orientated behavior, less solitary play, and less aggression at school.

Hugs might be a simple act of affection, but it also makes our relationships stronger. #Hugs #Health #TherapeuticBenefits #Affection Share on X

Even Our Pets Can Benefit From Touch

Touch between a human and a dog can have therapeutic benefits for both you and your pet. In humans, petting a dog can trigger the release of oxytocin. Feeling their fur can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure. When our Yorkie gets in my chair with me, I find it very comforting to feel his warmth and fur.

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Go Hug Someone

Hugs might be a simple act of affection, but it also makes our relationships stronger.  Humans thrive on physical connections, with hugging being one of the most powerful ways to show support and love. Hugs can change bad moods and relieve tension.

A nice deep hug may help give each person a sense of safety and trust. It can also boost self-esteem. Hugging has been related to meditation by helping us get a new perspective on stressful situations and focus on the present.

So, go find someone to hug!

I researched several articles and studies for this information; however, it is still my opinion. If you have specific questions or issues, please contact your primary care provider.