Over the years I’ve heard people say that laughter is the best medicine! Studies have shown laughter can indeed contribute to our health in many ways. I have some great memories with my family, rolling on the floor or bending over with so much laughter that I couldn’t breathe and I was going to wet my pants 😉
Here are just a few of the health benefits you can gain from a great belly laugh.
8 Benefits of Laughter
- Gives you an ab work out 😀
- Improves cardiac health
- Reduces stress hormones
- Helps with breathing
- May act as an anti-depressant
- Boost the immune system
- Can reduce anxiety and other negative emotions
- Social Benefits – laughter is contagious
Have you ever been in a group situation and suddenly someone you don’t know starts laughing loudly? Before you know it you are also laughing and you don’t even know why? Studies show that sounds triggered responses in the premotor cortical region of the brain, which prepares the muscles in the face to move in a way that corresponds to the sound. The response was much higher for positive sounds, suggesting they are more contagious than negative sounds which could explain our involuntary smiles when we see people laughing.
