133/365 Laughter Revisted

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

After playing a wildly hilarious game of Mad Gab, I decided that we should take another look at laughter and its affects on our cardiovascular system.

Laughter has been likened to "inner jogging" by professor Lee Berk of Loma Linda University in California. Your heart rate gets elevated, your breathing increases, and the stress hormone cortisol is inhibited. A year long study was done on patients who suffered heart attacks. Both groups were prescribed medical care; one group was also prescribed to watch 30 minutes of comedy. By the end of the study, "the laughing group had lower blood pressure, lower stress-hormone levels, fewer episodes of arrhythmia and, most important, fewer repeat heart attacks. (Kluger)"

Laughter shouldn't replace exercise but it's definitely a positive activity that you should strive to do every day. I recommend games like Taboo, Catch Phrase, and Mad Gab. Watching Who's Line is it Anway? is also great.

In health,

Lauren

Kluger, J., Miranda, C., & Song, S. (2005). The Funny Thing About LAUGHTER. Time International (Canada Edition), 165(3), 56-59. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.