Ask yourself this question. Do we stop laughing because we get old, or do we get old because we stop laughing? Humor, and specifically laughing, has an amazing impact on our bodies' health. The bigger the belly laughs the better.
On a general level you probably already know that is better to laugh than not to laugh but do you know why? And how does laughter lower blood pressure exactly?
Laughing actually increases blood circulation, delivers oxygen and nutrients efficiently, helps the immune system, fights stress chemicals and allows the muscles to relax. Wow! All that from a simple guffaw?
Stress is a principal contributor to high blood pressure and laughter is an excellent antidote for stress. Aside from simply altering our mood for a moment making us feel better, laughter also reduces four stress related hormones, epinephrine, dopac, growth hormone and cortisol. Reducing these hormones reduces the amount of oxidation in the blood vessels which means less plaque.
In addition, laughter relaxes muscles. Those muscles not actually involved in the physical act of the laugh relax. The ones doing the laughing relax immediately after the laugh. Relaxed muscles make for less strain on the blood vessels reducing pressure.
And a good laugh can be internalized and relived. How many times have you thought back to a joke or humorous situation and chuckled to your self. Each time you so that your body is responding positively.
Two organs benefit the most from laughter; the heart and the lungs. A good belly laugh is like an aerobic exercise for your heart. No it's not the same as 30 minutes of walking, but for people who may not be able to exercise, it's a decent substitute. The lungs expel more air than they take in during a good laugh and this acts as a cleansing breathe. When the laughter is over, you will breathe deeper sending oxygen enriched blood to the body.
Did you know that people who laugh regularly, you know the type, everything is funny to them, have a lower standing blood pressure than those who don't? Like exercise, the blood pressure goes up during the laughter but then drops significantly after the laugh.
Okay, laughter by itself is not going to replace a good diet and regular exercise, but it can go a long way in improving your point of view and reducing stress. And that's not something to laugh about!
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