It’s No Joke – Laughter Just Might Be the Best Medicine

Whether you’re laughing at memes or videos on your phone, listening to your favorite comedian or on the verge of tears from the office clown, a good laugh seems to do wonders for your mind and body.

Aside from improving your mood, bringing people closer together and making any activity more fun, research has shown that laughter has amazing health benefits. Ready. Set. Laugh!

Four Amazing Health Benefits from Laughing

Relieves Stress

Laugh away your stress. Laughter can help mentally and physically. It lets you look at situations in a more positive manner. Physically, laughing raises your heart rate and breathing, in a good way, once your quiet chuckle or deep belly laugh is finished, your heart rate and breathing return to normal, making you more relaxed.

Q. What happens to a frog’s car when it breaks down?
A. It gets toad away.

Burns Calories

Out of breath, high heart rate and sore abdominal muscles? Did you just get done with an ab workout? Nope, you had yourself a good laugh. Surprisingly, laughter can be great exercise. A 10 to 15 minute laugh can burn up to 50 calories. So exercise that funny bone!

Q: Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants?
A: In case he got a hole in one.

Relieves Pain

According to researchers at Oxford University (as reported in Time Magazine), people who laugh more have higher pain tolerances. All those LOLs and ha ha’s relieve and lessen the effects of pain.

Q: What did the computer do at lunchtime?
A: Had a byte!

Lowers Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can lead to serious health issues. Studies say that a half-hour of laughing can lower blood pressure in adults, lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.

Q: What did Obi-Wan say to Luke at the breakfast table?
A: “Use the fork, Luke.”