January 21 is International Cuddle Day. The opportunity to learn that making big hugs is not only to show your affection. These hugs have proven medical properties: they help reduce blood pressure or combat stress. Even better: if you cuddle your cat, you can fight insomnia or hypertension.
Between the (supposedly) depressing Blue Monday and the (really) depressing Valentine’s Day exists a day when everything is only love, tenderness, and kittens: the international day of hugs. This hug, a “tender and affectionate caress” according to Larousse, has virtues on health. If there were still reasons to convince you to cuddle your loved ones, your cat, your lover or anyone else (within the limits of decency), here are three.
Cuddling loved ones to prevent heart disease
To benefit from the preventive action of the hug, it will not be necessary to confine oneself to a brief embrace on January 21. Dosage: a hug of 10 seconds per day. According to the doctor of psychology Jan Astrom, at the origin of a study published in the journal Comprehensive Psychology, this time is enough to reduce the risk of hypertension, one of the factors of these diseases. This regular hug would also fight stress and fatigue, boost the immune system and fight infections and depression. All benef ‘.
Cuddling your lover to keep your spirits up
You just need a nap – not even a nasty one – with your dear and tender to be in a good mood? Nothing more normal. This close contact allows the body to generate oxytocin, which we readily call “the love hormone”. It has many beneficial effects: it helps the body to relax, reduces blood pressure and promotes healing. Quick, a hug!
Cuddling your cat: benefits of purring therapy
Cat lovers know this: these furballs are not only good at destroying a sofa and eating overpriced kibbles. Their purring has beneficial health effects. See rather: “when the organism fights against painful situations, like stress, the purring of the cat emits soothing and beneficial sound vibrations, a bit like music”, explained veterinarian Jean-Yves Gauchet, n not hesitating to qualify the tom-tom of the tomcat as “drug without side effect”. Don’t you have a cat? Spin fissa in a cat bar, and cuddle a feline.
