HEALTH & FITNESS By KEMI ILORI
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
A hug is a warm embrace. The singular action of a hug, conveys a lot of messages.
It signifies approval, friendship, acceptance, encouragement, affection. It
could also convey stronger emotions like love, support/ comfort (especially
during trying times), a safety zone, assurance and in business it could show
partnership, conclusion, etc. A hug is a simple action that can convey different
types of messages for different people and circumstances but we can be rest
assured that a hug expresses positive feelings.
Everybody has been hugged or given a hug at one time or the other. This means
that we all know what a hug is (except for language limitation; even then, a
hug is still a hug though different languages may have different words for it).
Hugs affect our health positively!!
How do people hug each other?
A hug is a form of physical intimacy that generally involves closing or holding
the arms around another person or group of persons. The hug is one of the most
common human signs of love and affection. Unlike some other forms of physical
intimacy, it is practiced publicly and privately in many nations, religions
and cultures, within families, and also across age and gender lines. Unlike
kissing, a hug does not carry any stigma for all cultures and it is universal
(there may be gender restrictions in some cultures and religions).
A really cozy hug by a big person is described as a BEAR HUG. This draws attention
to the fact that animals too enjoy the sensation of hugging. Africans are avid
huggers (unlike the case with kisses), it is our traditional way of expressing
affection. Some hugs are so strong that they are like being held in a vice,
especially when loved ones are traveling or embarking on dangerous missions.
We also use hugs to celebrate. Such instances include reunions of old friends,
family that had been away, etc. It is always interesting to see men hugging
old schoolmates.
Some of the most dramatic celebrations with hugs are seen in sports. Hugs are
often used as a celebration method amongst sports teams upon winning a major
award, such as in major football league matches when a team wins the final game
of a championship series, e.g. the CAF cup or World cup. The shear display of
joy and happiness is very infusive!! The hugs seem more like attempts to stifle
each other.
Some celebrants actually use hugs to lift each other off the ground. Such display
of joy is usually without any negative sexual undertone. Unfortunately, it is
not always the case. Notwithstanding, for the majority, hugging is a healthy
act of pure intention. Children who are hugged regularly are very secure happy
children.
How do hugs affect our health? A lot of researches have been conducted on the
effect of hugs on the human health. Most these researches point to the fact
that hugs are good for both our body and soul. A group of researchers in the
School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill conducted
a study in which she had 185 adults (male and female). The results showed that
hugs;
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce stress hormones like cortisol
• Lower heart rate
The underlying scientific explanation for the seemingly magical qualities of
a hug is that each time we hug, we increase the level of oxytocin in the blood.
This hormone is known as the bonding hormone because it triggers a “caring”
response in both men and women. Oxytocin stimulates contractions of the uterus
during labor and the release of milk during breast-feeding, so we literally
learn to depend on it from the womb. As adults, that daily dose of oxytocin-laced
hugging protects us from heart disease and that is why a hug a day could save
your life!
And while it works for both sexes, women seem to be the greater benefactors.
This was exhibited by the second phase of the study. The researchers discovered
that in addition to increased oxytocin levels, women in the study had reduced
levels of cortisol following a stipulated 20-second hug after other procedure.
Cortisol is another hormone produced by the adrenal glands as part of the body’s
response to stress. The fact that the women participants’ cortisol levels
were significantly lower than the men; means that females are especially responsive
to the calming effects of a hug‡ proving that a hug a day can go a long
way to keeping a woman you love heart healthy. At the end of the research, the
researchers, led by psychologist Dr Karen Grewen, wrote in Psychosomatic Medicine:
"Greater partner support is linked to higher oxytocin levels for both men
and women. However, the importance of oxytocin and its potentially cardioprotective
effects may be greater for women." Dr Charmaine Griffiths, spokesperson
for the British Heart Foundation, said: "This growing body of research
only goes to highlight how important social support is for everyone, not just
those in a relationship."
Men are usually shy about displaying affection and for the extremely conservative
ones; it is a sign of weakness to show affection. Researches like these ones
however show that friends and families of such people may be living with them
under stress. In the case of women, such stress can sometimes be cruel and severe.
This is the 21st century and the attendant stresses of modern living makes it
MANDATORY for family to show love and support to each other daily! My own advice
is that you hug your love ones several daily; I do mine. Everyone is always
happy to receive a hug; even if they are taken aback the first time that you
do it. With time, they get used to it and even secretly expect it. I’ve
also learnt that male children (like their Dads), do not respond to hugs as
well as daughters do; mothers should persevere and they will start reciprocating.
The interest on the effect of hugs on our health has so grown, that different
organizations which promote hugs have emerged, e.g. Hugs For Health Foundation.
They even have a website; www.hugs4health.com . Their motto is quite interesting,
“making a difference – one hug at a time”.