Beginner's Fitness Programs

Archive for December, 2011

You know you feel happy after watching a funny movie and laughing hard. It is not your imagination. Laughter actually brings physiological changes that positively affect your body.

Norman Cousins was the first, back in 1970s, to suggest that laughter has many health benefits. Following that announcement, many studies were done and scientists have found some very interesting results.

For example, researchers at Loma Linda University found that mirthful laughter helps optimize the hormone balance in the endocrine system to reduce stress. It also enhances the immune system and increases antibodies and T-cell activities which can kill tumor cells. Another study done at the University of Maryland found that laughter dilates arteries comparable to an aerobics workout (30-50% compared to those of stressed persons).

The latter study even suggested that people with some heart conditions perceive certain things less funny compared to healthier people. Researchers showed comedic films and asked the audience to rate how funny the movies were. They found that the ratings of these movies among people with heart problems was 40% lower than the ratings given by healthier viewers! So, if you are watching an old sitcom which you once thought was funny, but do not feel so anymore, you may want to see your doctor!

Another study done at the University of New South Wales shows that laughter is an effective medication for treating agitation in dementia. It may even prevent or delay the dementia. More than 20% of people over 85 have dementia – keep laughing!

Although it is good to laugh at funny TV programs or movies, it is far more effective to find something funny in our own daily lives. It is harder for many adults to find the fun and funny in everyday life. But watch young kids – they find almost everything to be either fascinating or funny. As we “grow up”, we are molded by society’s expectations which makes our thinking rigid. We need to reverse that! Pick up anything around you and think: “What is funny about this?” At first, you may not think of anything, but you can find or create something funny about it. If you practice this every day, eventually you find that almost everything you see has something to make you laugh, or at least smile. It doesn’t cost anything to make you happy and healthy!

The only potential negative effect of laughter is on appetite. Laughter increases appetite. This is actually good news for people who have lost their appetite due to depression or anorexia. However, in this world where the majority are overweight, this may not be a good thing. If you get together with your best friends over dinner, before you realize, you might eat three times more than you usually eat. (Yes, this happens every holiday season!). So watch out!

Now, what’s so funny about this article??

Sources
Laughter has positive impact on vascular function. European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2011, August
Body’s response to repetitive laughter is similar to the effect of repetitive exercise, study finds Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2010, April

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