As the Beatles once sang, "All you need is love." When it comes to matters of being healthy and happy, research indicates that this may be truer than we think! On top of making us feel overcome with joy, love can also positively affect our mental and physical well-being. During a month that is devoted to celebrating love in all its many forms, I'd like to explore how the positive emotions associated with love affect our minds and bodies from our heads down to our toes.
The National Institute of Health found that love physically and emotionally benefits us because it triggers the production of oxytocin, our body's natural feel-good hormone that helps contribute to the following -- and perhaps somewhat surprising -- health benefits:
- Love boosts your mental well-being. Couples who are happily in love are less likely to develop emotional disorders such as anxiety. A study conducted by Rutgers University found that participants who simply looked at photos of their loved ones experienced a sudden surge of dopamine, a chemical in the brain that produces feelings of happiness, vitality and an overall sense of calm.
Hopefully the clear evidence that love is so good for us in so many different ways helps serve as a reminder that we all could benefit from learning to give as well as receive love. So whether it's your significant other, your family, your friends, your pet, your passion, or perhaps even yourself, please make sure you make some room for love in your life this month -- and every month. Your health and happiness will thank you for it.
Judi Sheppard Missett, who turned her love of jazz dance into a worldwide dance exercise phenomenon, founded the Jazzercise dance fitness program in 1969. The workout program, which offers a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and cardio box movements, has positively affected millions of people worldwide. The international franchise business hosts a network of 7,800 instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries. For more information, visit jazzercise.com.