There was a recent review in a medical journal that provides
a scientific overview of the benefits of laughing regularly. Laughter and
science? Yes, strange but true. So, what are some of the documented medical
benefits of “laughter therapy”?
1. Muscle Relaxation – After a period of laughter, muscle
relaxation has been reported to last up to 45 minutes. You laugh. Your muscles
relax. It’s that simple.
2. Anxiety Relief - College students who listened to a
humorous tape during a stressful experiment decreased their self-reported
anxiety in a controlled study. And what’s more, those with the greatest sense
of humor enjoyed the greatest anxiety-relieving effect.
3. Strengthening the Immune System – A group of subjects was
given a funny movie to watch. After watching the comedic film, their blood was
analyzed for certain stress-related markers. The researchers who conducted the
study found that there was a significant drop in cortisol levels. Cortisol is a
stress hormone that can cause your immune system to become compromised.
4. Funny Exercise – Laughter basically provokes the same
physiological changes in our bodies that exercise does. You see, while we
laugh, our heart rate rises, our breathing quickens and our oxygen intake
increases. That’s a very similar reaction to what happens when we exercise.
The authors of this review concluded that the current
research on laughter is encouraging and that more research should be conducted
– to better understand how and under what circumstances laughter can be most
beneficial. http://healthcareatm.com/
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