Because Laughter Really is The Best Medicine.
1. You Feel Good
When you laugh your body releases endorphins, which results in feelings of euphoria and general well-being. The physical act of laughing, that is the muscular movements involved in producing the sound, prompt an increase in endorphins. Feel-good endorphins are generally associated with exercise, as your body produces them during, and straight after, exercise.
2. You Burn Calories
Anything that burns calories gets a check mark in our book! In fact, laughing intensely for an hour can burn as many calories as lifting weights for 30 minutes! When you laugh, your body has somewhat of a mini workout as it causes the heart to beat faster, and pumps a large amount of blood throughout your body. Sign us up!
3. It Relaxes You
Laughing relieves physical tension and stress and can help your muscles relax. If you’re ever hysterical and experiencing abdominal pain, that means those post-workout endorphins are making their move too!
FUN FACT: The saying ‘weak from laughter’ comes from the fact that laughing causes some muscles to become less coordinated.
4. It Helps You Bond With Others
Who doesn’t love a good ice breaker? Laughter and humour is the perfect way to meet new people or navigate unfamiliar social settings. When you present an approachable and friendly demeanor, you’re more likely to make others feel comfortable around you. You know what they say ‘laughter is contagious’!
5. You’re Brain Uses More Of Itself
Your brain normally uses just one hemisphere, but studies have found that when you laugh, a wave of electricity sweeps through the cerebral cortex, rather than just one region. This could be due to the fact that both parts of your brain are working together to process multiple aspects of the joke that made you laugh.
6. Your Immune System Gets Stronger
The Mayo Clinic and St. Johns Health has said that Laughter can boost the immune system by increasing the amount of T and B cells. T Cells are the body’s natural defense against viruses, cancer cells, and other disease-causing cells and B Cells make disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also increases levels of Immunoglobulins A, G, and M, which help fight infection.
