Who doesn’t love a good laugh? Whether you’re laughing at some weird form of Yoga, your cat doing adorable things, or your favorite sitcom, there’s just something wonderful about being able to cut loose and have a good laugh. But did you know that laughing is more than just fun – it’s also incredibly good for your health overall?
Here are some of the awesome health benefits of a good belly-busting laugh:
- Fights Pain — Laughing triggers the release of a chemical called endorphin in your body. Endorphin acts as a painkiller, reducing the pain you feel and giving you a happy feeling – similar to an emotional “high”. You’ll find that laughter is almost more effective than morphine!
- Increase Lifespan — One study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, people that have a positive outlook on life tend to live longer. The ones that laughed more and thought positively had a 55% lower mortality rate than those the same age but with a more negative mindset.
- Reduces Depression — Depression can stop you from enjoying life, but laughter can put an end to the blues. Laughter reduces stress, pressure, tension, and anxiety, all well-known factors that contribute to depression. Laughter therapy is actually used to help treat depression in the elderly.
- Gives Immune Boost —Laughter is a great medicine, as it can help to boost the production of T cells – the ones responsible for producing antibodies. Laughter also reduces the levels of a number of stress-related hormones which are known to suppress your immune system.
- Improves Relationships — Studies have found that those in a happy marriage tend to live longer, and laughter can help to make your relationship much happier. Interestingly enough, laughter increases the chance that you will find that perfect new mate.
- Excellent Exercise —Laughter isn’t a workout for the external muscles, but it’s awesome for your diaphragm and your abs. You’ll find that a good laugh session is great exercise – 100 laughs is the same workout as 15 minutes on a bike or 10 minutes on a rowing machine.
- Promotes Connection — You’ll find that the majority of the people in the world with good social connections are the ones that like to laugh a lot. Connecting with others can help to reduce depression, improve your mood, and improve your physical health as well.
- Improves Lungs — Laughter involves a lot of inhaling and exhaling, so your lungs get a good workout every time you laugh. It’s a lot like deep breathing exercises, and it can help to deal with any respiratory problems you may be having. Even asthmatics benefit from a good laugh.
- Strengthens Heart —Did you know that laughing is a cardiac workout? It will get your heart muscles pumping blood to your lungs, and will lower your blood pressure at the same time. 15 minutes of laughter a day is supposed to be the same as 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week in terms of health benefits.
- Shed Weight —Laughing can help to burn calories, making weight loss just that much easier. Plus, it will help to raise your metabolic rate, and will get your heart pumping a bit faster. Need a helping hand with your weight loss? Break out that sitcom and get laughing.
They say that laughter is one of the best medicines in the world, and you can see by this list above that it truly can be! It’s important that you find things in your life to make yourself laugh more. The more you enjoy life, the healthier you’ll be.
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