Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research  Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, recommends getting a  "regular dose" of some type of touch lasting at least a few minutes each day,  although 10 to 15 minutes is optimal. This is true even for those who tend to guard  their personal space. "Most touch aversion is to social touch; it's the  unpredictability of it that bothers people," says Field.

Rapaport has  gained such an appreciation for the power of touch, he's starting a new trial to  investigate the effects of massage on anxiety and has made the topic a personal  research focus. "We're finding biological changes associated with a single  massage session," he says. "That's saying something."

4  easy ways to incorporate more touch into your day

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/The-Health-Benefits-of-Massage#ixzz2HEXYo0Jy