THE HEALTHY HA-HA’S BY SIMONE SKINNER Did you know that laughing can be identified as an exercise? According to Healthline, laughing yoga involves a series of movements and breathing exercises that promote deliberate laughter. This type of exercise is just one of the impacts that laughter can have on a person’s health.
WHAT IS LAUGHTER? Laughing is described as a pleasant physical reaction of the body consisting of rhythmic, audible expulsions of amusement emitting from the diaphragm. It is the physiological response to the subject of humor and joy. When a person is laughing, the diaphragm, abdomen and facial muscles are the parts of the body that are affected the most. While laughing, the diaphragm and chest muscles tighten and in that movement it forces air out of your lungs. In this sudden expulsion of air, your body recognizes that it needs more oxygen and causes your heart rate and blood pressure to increase in an attempt to produce oxygen for your organs. This flow of air also causes your vocal cords to vibrate and emit what we all know as the contagious sound of laughter. Laughter doesn’t just create a sequence of physiological events to occur throughout the body, it also provides sufficient health benefits in those fits of giggles and belly laughs.
HOW LAUGHTER AFFECTS THE BODY Laughter has been proven to reward people with several physical and mental health benefits. It can benefit the body through several physical factors such as blood flow, immune response and blood sugar levels. When laughing the blood vessels contract and expand more easily than when a person is tense. This causes blood flow to increase more fluidly throughout the whole body. In addition, it can lower blood pressure which aids in the reduction of a stroke or heart attack. Laughter affects the body’s immune system by decreasing stress in the body and increasing the number of antibodies. In one study consisting of 19 people with diabetes, it has been proven that blood sugar levels can be decreased from laughter after having them watch a comedy rather than a lecture. It can have a significant effect on mental health — it eases anxiety and tension, relieves stress, improves mood, strengthens resilience and perspective. According to HelpGuide, when a person laughs, they experience an ease in strong emotions such as anxiety, sadness and anger. Laughing increases energy to help focus more on your goals throughout the day. Laughter can strengthen your resilience and perspective in
a way where it psychologically distances you from situations and sees them in a more realistic light, thus decreasing tension and diffusing conflict.
HOW DOES IT SIMULATE EXERCISE? Laughing can simulate the feeling of exercise through different ways that can add additional health benefits to the body. Knowing that the activity of laughing is mostly produced by the respiratory system, it is not a shock that it would also be a great exercise for both the respiratory and cardiovascular system.
In fact, in a study from Men’s Journal, it is stated that, “Laughing at least 100 times a day can equal 15 minutes of cardio exercise, increasing cardiovascular health.” Laughing also simulates exercise by working your abs. When laughing, your muscles are expanding and contracting. Laughing yoga is another exercise that can equate to exercise simulation as well. This is a breathing exercise that evokes the deliberate physiological movement of laughter. Most people with physical injuries or illnesses use this technique as an alternative to general movement compared to regular exercise.
SHOULD LAUGHING BE A LEGITIMATE EXERCISE? Laughter has similar effects to exercising, but compared to regular exercise, it has more short-term effects on the body. Melissa Rodgers, Assistant Teaching Professor and Director at the Center for Fitness and Wellness at Penn State says the body’s physiological response with exercise and laughter mimic each other acutely, but still has some vast differences in terms of health management. “When you are looking at management of disease and management of weight or long-term disease, it improves your ability to perform activities of daily living and just be a fitter person. Laughter just doesn’t keep up with all those additional benefits of exercise.” Laughter should be considered a healthy activity that can be integrated into daily fitness programs as a way to enjoy life-long benefits.
“Laugh more, move more, enjoy it together,” Rodgers says happily.
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