The Hidden Health Benefits of Massage

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Four easy ways to incorporate more touch into your day.

1. Work It Out
Find a hands-on form of exercise, like ballroom dance or instructor-based Pilates. Or do yoga, which Field says is a type of self-massage: "It involves pushing your limbs together and against the floor, which stimulates pressure receptors."

2. Check Your Policy
Health insurers are slowly recognizing massage not just as a therapy for injury but also as a form of preventive care. Call yours to find out if they'll cover a session or reimburse you under your flexible spending account.

3. Hug Someone
Yes, it really is that easy. "When you give a friend or family member a squeeze, you stimulate their pressure receptors as well as your own," says Field.

4. Do It Yourself
Field recommends self-massage for areas that carry tension, such as the neck, shoulders, and lower back. You can also roll a tennis ball over any sore spots, like under your feet or between your wrists.

Camille Noe Pagán's debut novel The Art of Forgetting (Dutton), is due out in June.

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