Laughing just feels good. Can you recall a time spent with friends where you just laughed and laughed? I have a group of friends and we spend one weekend a year together. We laugh and laugh on this weekend. When I head home after this weekend my abdominal muscles ache from laughing so much! Without a lot of science behind it, I know I feel better after a weekend like this.
Some sources say that laughter has the following benefits.
Lowers blood pressure
Increases vascular blood flow
Oxygenates the blood
Gives a workout to the diaphragm and abdominal muscles
Works out the respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles
Reduces certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline
Increase the response of tumor- and disease-killing cells
Defend against respiratory infections
Increases memory and learning
Improves alertness, creativity, and memory
According to WebMd, we change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. As more oxygen reaches our tissue, our heart, lungs and muscles are stimulated. Laughing also increases the endorphins that are released into your brain giving you that “runners high”! One researcher showed that it took ten minutes on the rowing machine to get the heart rate up to a level reached after just one minute of laughing.
A study conducted at Vanderbilt University where the amount of calories burned during laughter was measured indicated that a 10-15 minute laughing session burns 50 calories.
Long term, laughter may improve your immune system. According to the Mayo Clinic, negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can impact your body by bringing more stress into your system which decreases your immunity. Positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress. With lower stress, our immune system will be strong enough to fight off illness.
And laughter relieves pain. Laughter causes the body to produce its own natural painkillers. It may also break the pain-spasm cycle common to some muscle disorders.
Laughter connects people. And we all love to be connected. So if you are not getting enough laughter in your life, start looking for ways to increase your laughter. Go to a comedy show; call that funny friend of yours or even simpler-try meditating to this laughter! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Vw1DdHXMw . There are many laughing meditations available on the internet, simply Google laughing meditation and have yourself a good health enhancing laugh.
http://www.mayoclinic.com
Jean Sumner, author of “52 Tips to be Healthy” and co-founder of World Wellness Education has been involved with the health and wellness industry since 1996. An avid runner, she is passionate about exercise, eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Jean was diagnosed with cancer in May, 2009 this only served to fuel the flames of her passions.
Jean pursued alternative methods of treating cancer and met countless individuals who had great stories to tell regarding how nutrition, spirituality and exercise helped them to overcome their various illnesses. Since these stories were moving, motivating and timely she thought that each of these stories may make a difference in others’ lives. With the knowledge that we learn from stories more quickly than other teaching methods, an organization was born in hopes to make a difference in the well-being of every individual on the planet. That organization is World Wellness Education.