Boost Your Health Through Laughter
While laughter isn’t a cure-all for ailments, numerous scientific studies have shown it to improve your health. And they aren’t just short-term benefits either. Regularly finding humor in things and laughing can boost your long-term health. Here are some of the ways getting a good laugh is good for your mind and body.
1. Quick Boost to Your Day
When you laugh, your body releases a wave of chemicals called endorphins, which are a natural part of your body's hormones. These chemicals not only help with mood and pain tolerance but function as a way to lessen anxiety and stress. A good fit of laughter can have a number of immediate benefits:
- Laughter increases your immediate oxygen uptake, stimulating muscles throughout your body and improving circulation.
- It can reduce stress responses by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.
- Increases the endorphins your brain releases, improving mood.
- Laughing reduces tension in the body for up to 45 minutes.
2. A Healthy You for Longer
The short-term benefits of laughter are great. But regularly laughing in your day-to-day life can profoundly impact your health quality in the long term as all those short-term benefits begin to accumulate.
- Laughing boosts your immune system by prompting the release of neuropeptides.
- Promotes the production body's natural painkillers, boosting tolerance by up to 10%.
- It strengthens mental health, helps improve overall mood, and ability to cope with difficult situations.
- Stress reduction and improved circulation lower the risk of heart disease.
Incorporating Laughter into Your Life
When we were younger, we used to laugh all the time. Spend any time around young kids, and you can tell they laugh significantly more than we do as adults.
Children can laugh as often as 300 times a day, while on average most adults in the US top out at 20. Understandable given all the cares we take on throughout life, but that just means we need to take the time to look after our own happiness.
Even in the most challenging times, getting in a good laugh can make a horrible day not so bad. If you find that you don’t laugh as much anymore, don’t worry. Incorporating laughter into your every day isn’t all that hard.
1. Look for Humor Around You
We have a whole world's worth of entertainment at our fingertips these days. Take a look around; collect the ones that make you smile and laugh. Whether it is a TV show, comic strip, online skit, or book, knowing what gets you laughing makes it easier to find even more funny things.
Consider setting aside time each day to watch or read something that makes you laugh. Even fifteen minutes or a half-hour a day can give your health a big boost and have you enjoying life well into retirement.
2. Laugh With People
Just like a yawn, laughter can often be contagious. Spending time with friends and family who make you laugh or enjoy your jokes is a great habit to get into. Laughing is a social activity born out of our love of telling stories, meaning you are more likely to laugh when around someone you know and care about personally.
3. Comedic Entertainment
Combining the best of both worlds, finding comedy shows to attend that tickle your fancy gives you an opportunity to laugh your head off with a lot of other people. If you live around Asheville as we do, you have several choices for great live comedy entertainment.
- Slice of Life Comedy: Hosted out of The Orange Peel’s downstairs Pulp Lounge, this is one of Asheville’s longest-running comedy clubs.
- The Grey Eagle: Perhaps more known for music, this venue regularly hosts comedy as well. So keep an eye on their upcoming shows for a chance to laugh.
- The Odditorium: This music venue, art gallery, oddity museum all in one show is chock full of a wide array of entertainment from dance and music to comedy.
- Off The Wagon: This local dueling piano bar might be a music venue, but it takes a fun first approach that is sure to get you smiling.
4. Practiced Laughter
As odd as it may sound, you don’t need to find something funny to laugh at to get the health benefits of laughter. Termed ‘simulated laughing,’ this practice can be just as beneficial as the real thing. And forcing a laugh can sometimes prompt a natural laughter response in yourself or others.
To practice simulated laughter, simply start laughing. Maybe a joke wasn’t really quite that funny; laugh anyway.
If something made you smile, consider laughing as well. And if you are looking for a new exercise routine to incorporate into your life, Laughter Yoga might be the way to go. It involves some low-impact movement, breathing exercises, and of course, laughing.
Need a Lift to the Fun?
We can discover a lot to laugh about at home. But if you find yourself interested in attending a comedy show, going to a community event, or visiting a good friend and require assistance getting around Buncombe County, NC, trust Loyal Lifts to get you there. Mobility issues caused by disability or age shouldn’t keep you from having fun.
We provide chauffeur quality, personal door-to-door service in custom-fitted luxury vehicles. Our drivers will go the extra mile to make sure your excursion is safe and enjoyable. So if you need a lift, let our friendly staff get you there in comfort. You can call us at (828) 674-6471 or fill out our easy online form to set up a ride.