July 14, 2018Move Happy
Have you ever met someone who loves to hug and you’re a little apprehensive maybe at first, but then their positive energy and warmth makes you smile? Is that just me? Physical touch is what all creatures do to nurture and communicate. Take for example the tiger and his cub. The papa tiger shows his cub love and communicates safety in dangerous situations. When there is a possible predator, the papa hides his cub behind his paws. Can you think of an animal that does not use physical touch to communicate love and warmth to their mate, friend, or offspring? Me either!
Why should humans be any different? We aren’t! We need physical touch just as much as we need to give it to others. Some people need it more than others, and some less, but we all need it in some fashion. Below are 5 benefits and reasons why we all should incorporate more physical touch in our lives…
Reason #1: The Hug
Did you know that oxytocin is released in the body when you hug someone?
Oxytocin creates a feeling of closeness with others among other benefits. For more info check this article out here. This week be intentional about hugging people that you meet whether it’s a friend, family member or new person your meeting. Growing up I wasn’t really naturally a hugger type but now with the benefits of it I am going to be more intentional this week! Share this blog with a friend who you’d like to hug if they were closer 🤗 .
Reason #2: The handshake.
Did you know that women are seen in a positive confident light when they shake hands firmly?
People also seem more approachable when handshaking firmly.
For more info check out this WebMD article.
Reason #3: The fist bump 👊 .
According to the American Chemical Society, fist bumping is one of the most hygienic ways of greeting someone. See this article for more info check this out.
When I worked in the psychiatric hospital, we were trained to 👊 with patients as many would want to shake hands with you or hug you (if you seemed kind to them) but some of them put their hands in places people in mainstream society might not consider sanitary. This is due to their mental illness. In any case, the patients had a great sense in people and the Founder of Move Happy, Erin Nicole, was quickly accepted as kind 😊. During Move Happy workouts, she’d encourage 👋 or 👊 to continue building community and keeping energy high for the best environment possible.
What a great group of humans…
The Move Happy Facilitator Program is her gift 🎁 back to them. For every purchase, proceeds are given back to research on mental health and exercise through the John W Brick Foundation. For more info on their organization or to donate directly to them, go here.
For more info on The Move Happy Facilitator Program, click here 😉.
Reason #4: 👋 the high five. .
Where did it originate?
Many believe it originated in a baseball game for the LA Dodgers in 1977.
See this article for more info. It’s generally related to team sports or team events regarding encouragement and camaraderie. . Move Happy encourages you to 👋 your peeps today. Be the first to initiate and comment below how it goes!
Lastly Reason #5: The Body Bump!
For the past couple weeks Erin and her niece have been working on a secret handshake turned into dance 💃🏽 off 😂. Her 4-H mentor did something like it with her growing up and she thought it was the coolest thing ever! Being new to the area and growing her relationship with her niece she wanted to do something special with her too…. well she LOVED IT! .
Check it out here.
The Body bump has been used in sports settings and in silly 😜 situations with friends and loved ones…
Who are you body bumping today?
For more info on how to build community, improve your mindset and improve your fitness on a budget subscribe here. As a bonus, you’ll also receive a free digital download of the Move Happy Journal, Erin designed for her patients in a psychiatric hospital to boost mood, build community and improve fitness!
We’d love to hear how your thoughts and ways you’ll apply what you’ve read this coming week below.
Thanks for reading!
Ps: Don’t forget to tell someone you love them today…
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