Can a good HUG make you healthier?

At college a roommate told me once that giving/receiving 10 HUGS per day was linked to being healthier. Since we were all pretty friendly in that apartment we started making sure that no one would go to bed without receiving their share of hugs per day. This was fun, cute, and it definitely made me (a foreign student away from home) feel happy : )

I’ve never forgotten about it (it’s been more than 10 years – shhh don’t tell anyone I’m that young) and I’ve always wondered if there was any… real evidence.

Well, I’ve done a little bit of research and:

·      Human contact through hugs lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, which cuts the risk of heart disease.

·      Hugs have also been shown to improve overall mood, increase nerve activity, and a host of other beneficial effects.

·      Positive physical touch has an immediate anti-stress effect, slowing breathing and heart rate

·      "A good hug speaks directly to your body and soul, making you feel loved and special," says Mihalko Baczynski, a relationship coach.

·      "Hugging is all natural; it is organic, naturally sweet, no pesticides, non-fattening, no carbohydrates, no preservatives, no artificial or genetically engineered ingredients, and 100% wholesome" says Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD.

·      A University of North Carolina study showed that hugs increased levels of the hormone oxytocin and reduced blood pressure.

·      Several sources suggest that everyone needs at least four hugs a day for healthy survival, eight hugs a day for emotional strength, and 12 hugs a day to really grow and be empowered.

Elevated blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for heart disease - about one in three US adults has high blood pressure! If hugs lower blood pressure (and they do), just think of the positive benefits of a whole lot of hugging! Start by giving your love a healthy hug today. Include more hugs in your daily routine. Ask yourself whose day could I improve by giving them one or more hugs today? Not only will you be helping them, but you'll benefit too.
Some people don't like their personal space to be invaded. Others may feel too vulnerable at times to want to be touched. So proceed with caution if you feel this way or if you sense discomfort in someone else. For some people, it may take a bit of getting used to! Live alone? No one to hug? Volunteer with children or old folks. That will give you an opportunity for healthy hugging.

 Not only are hugs completely natural, they don't cost anything either! Hugs are free! And best of all, the supply is endless.

My personal theory about hugs

"Although my research has confirmed that there's a positive link between hugs and heart health, I came up with my own theory about why we like being hugged years and years ago when I was pregnant. It occurred to me that a hug simulates the periodic squeezing we all feel as babies in the womb - the ultimate place of security. A hug takes us back to the very start of our lives when we knew no fear, no hardship, and no threats."

"Hugs are not only nice, they are needed. Hugs can help relieve pain and depression, make the healthy healthier, the happy happier, and the most secure among us even more so.
Hugging feels good, overcomes fears, eases tension, it provides stretching exercises if you are tall. Hugging also does not upset the environment, saves heat, is portable, requires no special equipment, it makes happy days happier and impossible days possible."

Source: http://www.smart-heart-living.com/hugs-and-heart.html   © Copyright 2007-2011 Thornton Holdings Ltd.
Information presented here is not intended to replace the advice of your
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