Spending just 1-2 minutes a day laughing has many health benefits
We’ve all heard the expression “laughter is the best medicine.” Well, that turns out to be true – laughter can provide us with many health benefits. Spending 1-2 minutes a day laughing is an effective way to expand our energy and improve our overall health.
Studies show that the act of laughing lowers blood pressure, releases endorphins which are natural pain killers, and increases oxygen levels in the blood stream helping us to breathe with ease. It also relieves tension and anxiety which in turn reduces stress to our immune system.
Laughter is also said to help with anti-aging, and considering the cost of the anti-aging skin creams on the market, I will take a good chuckle any day. They even say that laughter burns calories, comparing it to several minutes of light cardio exercise. Now that’s a workout I can get used too! There’s even a yoga meditation Hasya Yoga, known as laughter yoga, which uses group breathing exercises to increase mindfulness.
Have you ever laughed so hard your stomach ached? Well that’s because the physical act of laughing engages the muscles that hold up the organs in your abdomen.
Sadly, it’s said that children laugh 300-400 times a day while adults only laugh 17 times a day. We don’t have to pay for laughter, it’s free of charge. Within all of us we have the ability to laugh. We have a choice on whether or not we choose to use it. Considering the benefits, I think I’ll tune in to a good sitcom and get my dose of anti aging.
Research from “The Physiological Benefits of Laughter,” Neurochemistry Department, UC Berkeley
