Summary: Researchers report that couples who frequently hug or hold hands show lower cortisol levels, fewer physical symptoms, and better sleep.
Source: Northwestern University.
Would it surprise you to learn that simple acts like holding hands while walking, embracing when you return home, or resting your hand on your partner’s shoulder can improve both partners’ health? Light, nonsexual touches — a hand on the thigh, an arm around the waist, a squeeze while sitting together on the couch — do more than express affection. They help build and maintain intimacy and promote emotional and physical well-being.
Research indicates that the presence of intimacy in daily life — feeling understood, accepted, and cared for — strongly influences overall health. Intimacy grows from many interactions: responsive conversation, empathy, acts of kindness, and the often-overlooked power of regular physical touch. These simple gestures communicate acceptance and care and also produce measurable physiological benefits.
Several studies have linked routine, affectionate touch between partners to improved health markers. For example, partners reported lower levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, on days when they engaged in more physical contact such as handholding and hugging. Because elevated cortisol is associated with higher heart rate and increased blood pressure, lowering cortisol through touch can reduce stress-related physical strain. Researchers suggest the mechanism is emotional: positive feelings generated by touch — relaxation, contentment, and calm alertness — contribute to lower cortisol.
Additional studies reinforce these findings. When couples increased their frequency of physically intimate behaviors over several days, they later reported fewer physical complaints, including back or muscle aches, headaches, sleep problems, digestive upset, skin irritation, and general illness or injury. Other research has tied regular, repeated touch to higher oxytocin levels, a hormone linked to soothing and bonding, along with lower cortisol for both partners and reduced blood pressure for men.
Physical contact appears to be especially important in long-term relationships where sexual activity may ebb and flow. Nonsexual touch — holding hands, brief hugs, strokes across the back, or a reassuring hand on the arm — provides a continuous pathway to preserve intimacy. These small, everyday gestures help partners feel connected and supported and reinforce the emotional bond that contributes to better sleep, reduced stress, and improved physical health.
Source: Tessa Burton — Northwestern University
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com
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Northwestern University. “Simple Touching Fosters Wellness and Relieves Stress For Couples.” NeuroscienceNews. June 4, 2018.