August 5, 2007 | Posted in: Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully
Try laughter for the health of it. Laughing is exercise and is considered internal jogging by some experts. As an official Certified Laughter Leader, yes, that’s an authentic credential sanctioned by the World Laughter Tour, I promote the benefits of laughter at home, at work and in life to boost your immune system, enhance your relationships and build your teams.
When you laugh, your body moves blood to your heart and lungs, boosting your energy level and making you feel better instantly. It also aids communication and creates a sense of closeness between you and the people you’re laughing with. New evidence points to changes in the brain—not the imaginary funny bone—as the source for laughter. Researchers found that when people laugh, a part of the brain’s reward system is triggered. In this reward system, a person feels pleasure and wants to have the same pleasant feelings over and over again. The areas in the brain triggered by humor are the same ones that are triggered by drugs like amphetamines and cocaine.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one reason that young people choose to use drugs is simply to feel good. They seek new or thrilling things to have a good time. The good news is that the kids who use drugs to feel good are the ones who are most likely to respond to prevention messages that teach them about the harmful effects of drugs on their bodies. Teens also are swayed mostly by the powerful protective factor of having strong and loving parents who take notice and take part in all aspects of their lives. These kids have the best chances of being successfully taught to seek other ways of having fun.
Other ways in which laughter benefits the body:
Muscle Relaxation
A belly laugh causes muscles to relax and be free of tension. As you laugh, muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh relax. After you finish laughing, the muscles involved have their turn at relaxing. That’s why kids fall on the ground laughing or wet their pants when they laugh too hard, their bodies are relaxing a little too much from laughing. That’s why your cheeks hurt the next day after visiting a comedy club – you’ve been exercising your face.
Reduces Stress Hormones
Laughter reduces at least four neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response: epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone. You cannot be stressed out and laughing at the same time. Known as the Biology of Hope – those who were anticipating an enjoyable event showed signs of decreased stress hormones in their blood and after watching funny videos or laughing, these markers showed decreased stress hormones as well.
Immune System Enhancement
Clinical studies have shown humor strengthens the immune system. Some studies have shown that the ability to use humor may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells as well.
Cardiac Exercise
Laughter provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those unable to perform physical exercises.
Blood Pressure and blood flow
Laughter lowers blood pressure although women appear to benefit more than men from this exercise. Researchers at the University of Maryland studied the effects on blood vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. After the screening, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy behaved normally — expanding and contracting easily. But the blood vessels in people who watched the drama tended to tense up, restricting blood flow.
Respiratory Cleansing
Frequent belly laughter has a cleansing effect because it empties your lungs of more air than it takes in – similar to deep breathing. This is extremely beneficial for patients who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory problems.
Relaxation, pain reduction and sleep.
The focus on the benefits of laughter really began with Norman Cousin’s memoir, Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spine condition, found that a diet of comedies, like Marx Brothers films and episodes of Candid Camera, helped him feel better. He said that ten minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep. Humor allows a person to temporarily “forget” about aches and pains from disability, injury, or surgery.
What are you doing to add humor and laughter into your day today?
Gaia Hart
As the CEO (Chief Energizing Officer) at Hartful Living including GaiaHart.com and BizBuilderCards.com; I’m a Messenger and Mentor for women entrepreneurs, connecting them to their capacity to energize their work and their lives in the art of living Hartfully. At BizBuilderCards.com, you can make a living through giving with greeting cards and gifts to build your network net worth as an additive to your current business or an easy way to send gratitude and kindness to the world.
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Kevin
September 13, 2007
Excellent points you raised, you bring a serious side to laughter (lol), not sure if that’s good but I agree that laughter is good for you, just let it happen naturally.
Bill Spicer
January 11, 2008
This hit me just right!