It has been a few months since I have had my last uncontrollable laughing fit. It usually occurs when my brothers dirty mind combines with mine, and we have been known to go at it for almost a half hour. Did you know a daily laughter workout of 15 minutes can burn 40 calories and melt away 4 pounds over the course of a year. This is true if you laugh non stop for the amount of time and it has to be vigorous, just as you would a regular workout. According to William F. Fry, M.D. when you laugh, your body responds. You flex, then relax, 15 facial muscles plus dozens of others all over your body. Your pulse and respiration increase briefly, oxygenating your blood. And your brain experiences a decrease in pain perception, possibly associated with the production of pain-killing, pleasure-giving endorphins." Laughing in general lightens up your mood and for me is an excellent stress reliever.
For some, this may seem a bit silly and others may not be able to do this. Laughing for this long at the recommended intensity requires you to put aside all of your pride. When my brother and I are together, we are in our own little world and speak our own language so we just don't care. It may also be easier to build up to the recommended 10 to 15 minutes by trying 1 minute bursts here and there. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, “I think it's (laughter) one of the most effective ways to reduce stress, and preliminary research suggests laughter may also boost immunity, relieve pain, lower blood sugar in people with type-2 diabetes, and help protect against heart disease.” I hope this helps and for the full article:
I really like this exercise because I love laughing. I laughing all the time. I enjoy that!! It's really interesting with this I can burn calories!!! wuju!!
ReplyDeleteWell this was a nice blog to read. I love to laugh and usually get in small laughing fits. It is very nice to know that I am exercising while I do it. It is also nice to know that laughter can help your body in many other ways as well.
ReplyDeleteThis blog makes me smile because after just getting back from a weekend of spending time with my sister I can totally relate to you and your brother! My sister and I get into laughing fits about everything-sometimes absolutley nothing-and can't stop. Then, when one of us starts again the other starts and we can't stop for another 20 minutes. It's great! Now if this happens in an innappropriate time/place I can tell my mom I'm working out even though it doesn't seem it as an excuse! hahaha
ReplyDeleteI love this blog! I've heard this before but not all the small details about the amount of calories you loose. I laugh all the time so hopefully it's true!! Thanks for the info.
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