By Jessica Feagin | Intern and UAB Community Health and Human Services Student

I love a great big hug from my family and friends. To me, hugs provide comfort, security, and love. Hugs are more than just a friendly greeting; surprisingly, they can be a powerful booster for your health. A hug releases several hormones, such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, which help lowers anxiety, stress, and blood pressure (Kumar & MBBS, n.d.). A ten-second hug helps the body fight infections and lessens depression and tiredness. A twenty-second hug reduces the harmful effects of stress and boosts heart health. Increasing the hug ratio results in better immunity, decreased cravings, and improved healing.

Hugs may boost your heart health. A study of 200 participants was split into groups. The first group had romantic partners hold hands for ten minutes, followed by a twenty-second hug with each other, and the second group just sat in silence for ten minutes and twenty seconds. The participants in the first group showed reductions in blood pressure and heart rate than the second group (Cirino, n.d.).

Hugging improves our sleep, as gentle touch lowers the hormone cortisol levels. Cortisol is an essential regulator of our sleep-wake cycle. Hugs could also help us fight off infections. Through regulation of the hormones cortisol and oxytocin, hugging can affect our body’s immune response. High-stress levels can suppress our ability to fight infections (“Four ways hugs are good for your health,” n.d.).

Not only does hugging impact the health of adults, but there are also substantial amounts of research that have shown that skin-to-skin contact, such as hugging between mother and baby, can yield benefits such as improved sleep, reduced crying, reduced anxiety, sense of body ownership, and correct production of growth hormone. Hugging a newborn increases weight and improves overall development (Kumar & MBBS, n.d.).

Hugging can impact your health and have many benefits. Hugging is easy, quick, and free. Everyone can benefit from a hug, even if you give yourself a big squeeze. Hugging is something everyone can do, so be sure to get your hugs every single day.

References:

Cirino, E. (n.d.). Why you should get (and give) more hugs. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/hugging-benefits

Four ways hugs are good for your health. (n.d.). Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_hugs_are_good_for_your_health

Kumar, K., & MBBS. (n.d.). How do hugs make you feel? Eleven benefits of a proper deep hug. MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/how_do_hugs_make_you_feel/article.htm