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Your Body on Laughter
The health benefits of laughing are no joke.
Few things in life are better than a full-body laugh. You know the kind—when you laugh so hard your shoulders shake and tears stream down your face. Even after the giggles pass, you just feel happy. It probably seems like a no-brainer that laughing feels good—but did you know it’s also good for you?
In fact, studies show that laughing has serious benefits for your physical and mental health. People who laugh regularly get sick less often. They also tend to live longer than people who are Always. So. Serious. And making a daily habit of finding something to laugh about can help reduce stress and improve your bonds with others. Read on to find out how a good chuckle can help your body, mind, and mood. Seriously!
Try these tips for bringing on the funny.
When we see or hear something funny, several parts of the brain are activated at the same time. This strengthens neural connections and improves your brain’s ability to multitask.
Muscles
Although it can’t replace exercise, laughing tones the diaphragm, abs, and shoulder muscles. It can also help relieve muscle tension. That can help you feel relaxed.
Laughter sends endorphins, aka feel-good hormones, coursing through your veins. Laughing also reduces cortisol and adrenaline, the hormones that cause anxiety and stress.
When you laugh, your heart beats faster. This makes you take deep breaths, which increases the oxygen in your blood and helps protect you against heart disease.
Immune System
Laughing aids in the production of disease-fighting immune cells. This helps protect you from infection and can even reduce your risk of getting cancer.
Test how much you know about cracking up.
TRUE OR FALSE? Laughing burns calories.
True
False
TRUE! Studies show that 15 minutes of laughing can burn between 10 and 40 calories.
TRUE OR FALSE? Only humans laugh.
FALSE! Scientists have identified 65 species, including apes, sea lions, and orcas, that express sounds related to playfulness.
TRUE OR FALSE? Laughter improves memory.
TRUE! A recent study shows that laughter prevents stress hormones from damaging the parts of the brain that control learning and memory.
Can you guess the punch lines? (Look below for answers.)
A: What do you call a rabbit with fleas?
B: Why did the farmer become a musician?
C: What kind of fruit do ghosts like?
Answers: A: Bugs Bunny; B: Because he had sick beets; C: Boo-berries
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