Shape Singapore – August 2019

Live HealthyLive Healthy

34 | Live HeaLtHy | SHape auguSt / September 2019

T

“the nerve’s primary role is to slow the

nervous system,” says tiffany Field, the

director of the touch research institute

at the university of miami miller School of

medicine. “as a result, your heart rate goes

down, your blood pressure drops, and your

stress-hormone levels fall.”

these effects have a huge impact on

your health, studies have found. in tiffany’s

research on adults with illnesses like aiDS

and cancer, massage therapy

was shown to boost participants’

natural killer cells, which attack

bacterial, viral, and cancer cells.

because of the calming effect

of touch, massages can improve

sleep patterns, allowing you to

spend more time in the restorative

deep stages of sleep, tiffany

says. Other research shows that

touch makes the body stronger

and more resistant to pain, and it

bumps up your levels of oxytocin,

which is the hormone responsible for those

warm, fuzzy feelings that come with being

around those you love.

Despite all the healthy upsides, tiffany

says she has discovered that people are

actually touching one another less today

than ever before. “We interact more on social

media than in person. When you’re out,

you’re often listening to music or checking

your phone, so there’s less of a chance for

contact with strangers or even friends,” she

says. that means we’re missing out on all the

mind-body advantages.

Fortunately, scientists have discovered

there are a multitude of ways to tap into the

he connection between touch and mental and

physical well-being is extremely potent, according

to research. Touch stimulates the vagus nerve, which

has branches running through your entire body.

benefits of touch. these are their four top

study-backed strategies.

Get Closer

person-to-person contact is especially

powerful. “Consensual touch from a partner

reduces feelings of distress when you’re

facing something difficult. it also appears

to help the immune system work better

and might even trigger the release of

oxytocin and your body’s natural

painkillers,” says michael murphy,

a postdoctoral research associate

in psychology at Carnegie mellon

university. to draw on those

powerful effects, he suggests

looking for more opportunities to

be physically close to your loved

ones, like hugging friends hello or

goodbye or giving your partner

a shoulder massage while he’s

telling you about his day. Just one

or two instances of daily contact

can significantly boost your well-being.

try an alternative massaGe

“Studies show that self-massage has all

the positive effects of regular massage,

especially when people do it daily to get

a greater dose of touch,” tiffany says. She

recommends carrying a tennis ball around

and rolling it up and down your arms a few

times a day. that’s all it takes to start to

experience a reduction in stress and deeper

sleep, her research finds.

alternative massage and touch-therapy

practices are also effective. there are

assisted stretching and recovery studios (a

therapist manipulates your body to help

you stretch sore muscles), and Healing

touch and reiki (energy therapies in which

practitioners place their hands on your body

to promote mental and physical healing).

“people are becoming more interested

in touch-centered treatments like these

because they offer stress relief and can help

boost immunity, but they also give a sense

of human connection that many people may

feel they’re lacking,” says marina Simovic,

a health practitioner who practices stretch

therapy and reiki at begin to Heal, an

alternative therapy practice in New york.

Use a weiGhted blanket

they really can relieve stress and improve

your sleep, tiffany says. these blankets are

15 to 25 pounds. “that’s heavy enough to

press down on the skin, stimulating your

pressure receptors and triggering vagus

nerve activity,” she says. Weighted blankets

can be warm, so in the hotter months, try the

Weighted blanket by ynm (lazada.sg), which

is made from technical fabrics that draw

moisture away from the body. aim for one

that’s about 10 percent of your weight.

do more yoGa

any activity that involves a firm touch

to the skin will stimulate your pressure

receptors to activate the vagus nerve,

tiffany says. yoga is one of the best, since it

involves pressing into a mat and your own

body. but lifting weights, walking, running,

and swimming will also stimulate the body’s

pressure receptors and let you reap some of

the benefits of touch. text

mirel zaman

pHOtOS

sophie delaporte

bonUs benefit

When you’re

touched by

someone else –

during a massage

or a hug, for

example – the

person who’s

reaching out to

you gets some of

the same perks as

you do.