Make Laughter Part of Your Wellness Program
I recently rejoined an athletic club. I moved and let my membership expire. When I rejoined as part of my membership I was given 5 free sessions with a personal trainer. I didn’t realize how out of shape I was until I started working with my new trainer. Rather than start slow and work up to a rigorous routine she had me doing exercises that I had never attempted before. After my first work-out I expected to not be able to move the next day. I went home and started watching humorous videos. Videos that I knew would make me laugh a lot.
The next day I was sore, but not as sore as I had expected. I believe the humorous videos had a part in relaxing my muscles. Studies show that when we laugh the muscles that are involved in the laughter start to relax and the muscles that are directly involved with laughter start to relax after we stop laughing. Laughter is said to produce endorphins, a painkilling drug like substance, produced naturally when we laugh. I have heard that marathon runners also produce endorphins when they run marathons helping them to continue through the pain.
Laughter also helps get more oxygen into the blood system, get bad air out of our lungs and some experts suggest that 100 belly laughs is equal to 10 minutes of aerobic exercise. I suggest that you make laughter part of your fitness program.