September Article
Laughter is Truly the Best Medicine
By Bev Hillman
Vancouver Personal Training
Laughter truly is the best medicine! A good laugh can both change how you feel and affect your biochemistry. One cannot experience humour and feel depressed, anxious or angry at the same time. In those moments of experiencing humour, other feelings dissolve, providing a respite.... as well as hoping that those other feelings can be reduced or eliminated.
Laughter transcends age, physical limitations and health status and even has the following health benefits:
Strengthens the immune system. Laughter elevates white blood cell counts and increases antibody levels.
Reduces pain. The endorphins released in your brain when you laugh or giggle are the body's natural painkillers. These endorphins also boost your mood and ease feeling of depression as well as help you get a better night's sleep.
Controls high blood pressure. Laughter has been shown to limit the release of stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine in the body. A 10-minute chuckle can reduce blood pressure by up to 16 percent.
Acts like a mini-facelift. Laughing and smiling tones facial muscles and increases blood flow, which nourishes the skin for a more youthful glow.
Makes good exercise. Research reveals that one minute of laughing is as effective at getting your heart rate up as 10 minutes on a rowing machine.
Alleviates bronchitis and asthma. Frequent laughter can improve lung capacity and increase blood oxygen levels.
It's common knowledge among humour professionals that the average child laughs 300-400 times a day, but the average adult only laughs about 15 times. As adults, we get caught up in intellectualizing humour - carefully evaluating it and why something is funny. But children simply giggle and act silly for the sheer fun if it.
Discover what tickles your funny bone and allow it to expand by sharing your humour with others. Take a deep breath and laugh! By embracing the spirit of laughter, it's possible to achieve a more positive outlook on life.
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