Laugh your way to stress relief and weight loss!

Okay, okay, so we are not talking about throwing out your treadmill and sitting on the couch in front of your favorite funny movie but Vanderbilt University’s Department of Medicine announced that laughing caused people to burn extra calories! The bottom line is that during genuine laughter, as compared to a resting state, we expend between 10–20 percent more energy, and our heart rate is increased by the same amount. The good news is that 15 minutes of laughter can burn between 10–40 calories. The bad news is that it’s just not enough to replace even the lightest daily form of exercise or intense physical activity. So no saying goodbye to your trainer and exercise regime over this big news! But, not to be discouraged, at the end of the study’s results, the researchers note, “:This amount [15 minutes per day] of energy expenditure during 1 year with no changes in other components of energy balance, may translate into an annual weight loss [of approximately 1–4 pounds of body weight], if all other components of energy balance remained unchanged.” I say that beats gaining 1–4 pounds a year!

The benefits of a belly laugh

Laughter’s benefits on your health are no joke. A sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but data are mounting about the things that laughter can do.

Short-term benefits

A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body, beginning with your face. Laughter can:

• Stimulate your organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
• Activate your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
• Soothe tension and tummy aches. Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation, which helps reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Long-term effects

Laughter isn’t only good for a quick pick-me-up, though. It’s also good for you over the long haul. Laughter may:

• Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can impact your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses. In fact, in one study, people with cancer who watched a humorous video showed less stress and an increase in a particular cell activity that’s beneficial in fighting diseases such as HIV and cancer.
• Relieve pain. Research increasingly shows that laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
• Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make difficult situations a little bit easier. One study of nurses who work in emergency rooms found that nurses who use humor in dealing with their patients and co-workers experience greater job satisfaction and feelings of personal accomplishment than do those who remain dour during their shifts.

Laughter is the best medicine

Go ahead and give it a try. Turn the corners of your mouth up into a smile and then give a laugh, even if it feels a little forced. Once you’ve had your hearty chuckle, take stock of how you’re feeling. Are your muscles a little less tense? Do you feel more relaxed or buoyant? That’s the natural wonder of laughing at work!