--- title: Couples Massages Really Do Relieve Stress description: The power of touch offers major mind-body health benefits—and it just might make your relationship more solid. canonical: https://time.com/4770452/couples-massage-stress-relief/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-08T14:35:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T04:47:52.307Z article:section: Health og:title: Couples Massages Really Do Relieve Stress og:description: Giving and receiving massages may strengthen relationships og:url: https://time.com/4770452/couples-massage-stress-relief/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2275868512feacd2/6988cc548fd2eeb332356f22/gettyimages-200355068-001-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4872 og:image:height: 2741 og:image:alt: Man massaging woman, pressing thumbs into skin, close-up og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Couples Massages Really Do Relieve Stress twitter:description: Giving and receiving massages may strengthen relationships twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2275868512feacd2/6988cc548fd2eeb332356f22/gettyimages-200355068-001-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Couples Massages Really Do Relieve Stress > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b29761d1-015e-4107-bdd8-c654a8e62b76&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Amanda MacMillan / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda MacMillan / Health.com Contributor May 8, 2017 2:35 PM UTC  Man massaging woman, pressing thumbs into skin, close-up Man massaging woman, pressing thumbs into skin, close-up Getty Images by [Amanda MacMillan / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Amanda MacMillan / Health.com Contributor May 8, 2017 2:35 PM UTC The [benefits of massages](http://time.com/4728672/massage-low-back-pain/?iid=sr-link1) are well documented: they provide stress relief, relax stiff muscles, and deliver soothing self-care. But a new study shows that couples who skip the pro and instead massage each other can score those same rewards—and may strengthen their relationship. The small new study, which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, was [recently presented](http://beta.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/rub-each-other-right-way-%E2%80%93-couples-massage-relieves-stress) at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference in Brighton, England. It involved 38 people (19 couples) who all completed a three-week massage course. Before and after each massage session, each partner answered questions about his or her physical and mental health and had measures taken of their energy, irritability, mental clarity, mood, pain, emotional stress and physical uptightness. The researchers found that both partners’ wellbeing, perceived stress and coping abilities improved after each rubdown. Those results remained even three weeks following the end of the massage training. (Overall, 74% of participants continued to do partner massage after the course had finished.) Of course, when you’re on the receiving end of a massage, it makes sense that you’ll reap these benefits. What’s really interesting, the study authors say, is that physical and emotional well being for both partners—the giver and the receiver—surged after each massage session. **_Health.com:_** [_15 Thoughts Every Person Has During a Massage_](http://www.health.com/beauty/15-thoughts-every-person-has-during-a-massage/?xid=time) Previous research has shown that couples tend to operate as a pair when coping with stress, says lead author Sayuri Naruse, a graduate student in health psychology at Northumbria University in the UK. The new findings suggest that massaging each other may help ensure relationship stability, she says, and can be a simple and effective of improving well being while also showing affection. Not relying on a massage therapist is also cheaper, and it gives willing couples the chance to experiment, says Naruse. Still, it can’t hurt to invest in a short how-to course or download a massage app that can guide you. If one or both partners aren’t confident or comfortable, that may negate the potential benefits, Naruse says. “It is a bit like cooking,” she told _Health_ via email. “Anybody can cook, but not everyone can cook a nice meal without a bit of patience or experience.” Naruse also notes that some of the participants found it difficult to fit massage into their busy schedules. But she believes it can be worth the time and effort. “It is important to talk and decide the convenient time for both partners to exchange massage,” she says. “We should not underestimate the power of touch.” _This_ [_article_](http://www.health.com/relationships/couples-massage-boosts-well-being?lkjkj/?xid=time) _originally appeared on_ [_Health.com_](http://health.com/?xid=time) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4770452/couples-massage-stress-relief/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4770452/couples-massage-stress-relief/"},"headline":"Couples Massages Really Do Relieve Stress","datePublished":"2017-05-08T14:35:03.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:47:52.307Z","description":"Couples massages may strengthen relationships","url":"https://time.com/4770452/couples-massage-stress-relief/","keywords":["Sex/Relationships","Research","stress relief","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2275868512feacd2/6988cc548fd2eeb332356f22/gettyimages-200355068-001-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda MacMillan / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2275868512feacd2/6988cc548fd2eeb332356f22/gettyimages-200355068-001-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Man massaging woman, pressing thumbs into skin, close-up","caption":"Man massaging woman, pressing thumbs into skin, close-up","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/sexrelationships/","name":"Sex/Relationships"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4770452/couples-massage-stress-relief/","name":"Couples Massages Really Do Relieve Stress"}}]}] ```