‘Laughter is the best medicine’. Numerous studies conducted over the past few decades suggest that there may, after all, be some truth to this statement.
And as several countries including India celebrate World Laughter Day on May 5, we list a host of benefits associated with laughter.
1. Relaxes Whole Body: Laughter helps relieve physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes.
2. Boosts Immune System: By decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, laughter improves the body’s resistance to disease.
3. Triggers Release of Endorphins: Endorphins are responsible for promoting an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain in the human body.
4. Protects Heart: A good laugh improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow. This, in turn, helps in protecting us against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
5. Burns Calories: It is not a replacement for the gym, but laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories.
6. Provides Cancer Therapy: Several studies have shown the direct positive impact of laughter in cancer treatment. A number of cancer survivors have used humour as a complementary therapy since laughter is linked to improving natural killer cell activity, increasing disease resistance and decreasing morbidity in those with cancer or other chronic diseases.
7. Enhances Mood: We do not need a second opinion on it. Whether you are having a bad day, or you are really angry on someone, a good dose of laughter will not only let those useless feelings go away but will also enhance your mood and help you to think positive.
8. Helps in Social Connectivity: It is often noticed that people who laugh together, become friends easily. Always keep yourself and people around you happy and you will definitely see an increase in good social connections around you.
9. Decreases Negative Emotions: If there’s something that is stressing you or making you anxious, make sure to laugh out loud. This is because laughter helps in releasing hormones responsible to keep you happy, thus taking away your negative emotions.
10. Improves Breathing: Laughing might help you to breathe better, as it helps in increasing your blood flow, opening up blood vessels, which also results in an improvement in breathing.
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