LOL! What Laughing Does to Your Health

Lisa Franchi December 06, 2013

A penguin walks into a shop and asks the assistant: ’Do you have any grapes?’ ’No,’ he replies. The same thing happens the next day and on the third day the assistant replies: ’No, and if you come in asking for grapes again! I will nail your flippers to the floor!’ Next day the penguin walks in and asks: ’Got any nails?’ ’No,’ replies the assistant. ’Got any grapes?’ the penguin asks.

LOL! Okay, this joke may be a bit corny for some. But if it did make you laugh, then it offers something good to your health. A wealth of research suggests that laughter is vital to good health. Incorporating humour and laughter into your daily life is one of the best ways to keep your mind and body healthy.

So how does laughter boosts your health?

“Mirthful laughter has a scientifically demonstrable exercise impact on several body systems.” said William F. Fry, one of the pioneers of Gelotology (the study of laughter), and a Professor Emeritus at Stanford University who has done extensive research on the benefits of laughter. His years of study have found that laughter activates muscles, increases heart rate, and simplifies respiration with increase in oxygen exchange – effects that are similar to that of exercise.

According to Fry, humour and creativity work in similar ways. By establishing relationships between two disconnected items, you engage the whole brain, he notes.

Another researcher, Sondra Kornblat, a science writer and author who has also done extensive research on laughter, found that the simple act of giggling can actually promote health in many ways. She found that laughter lowers blood pressure, increases vascular blood flow and oxygenation of the blood, reduces certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, defends against respiratory infections, and boosts memory and learning. She also found that laughter serves like a workout routine for the diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles.

A few studies have investigated the effects of laughter and yoga and came into surprising conclusions. In particular, practicing exercises that simulate laughter were found to increase self-efficacy in employees, reduce depression in the elderly, and promote cardiovascular health.

Laughter in relationships

Robert Provine, Ph.D., a neuroscientist, came into interesting findings in his research on laughter. He found that it plays a big role in mating – men like women who laugh heartily in their presence. And like yawning, laughter is contagious. Just seeing others laughing is enough to make you laugh as well (even though you aren’t in the mood to chuckle). But then, according to Provine, laughter in relationships decline as people age and there are many possible reasons for this. But he contends that it is what ailing couples need most. He said one of the best ways to stimulate laughter is tickling. Most people recognise tickling as a form of affection. What’s more, adolescents and adults prefer to be tickled by someone of the opposite sex. But older couples tend to experience “tactile disengagement, according to Provine. And along with tickle, touch and play also wane.

Laughter may not be the best medicine but it is one that is worth taking, whether you are ill or not. Even if you are feeling down, you can stimulate laughter by reading jokes, watching a comedy film, doing something silly and funny, or perhaps tickling your partner. You will be surprised of how fast it can uplift your mood and effectively improve your health.