There is an old adage about laughter being the best medicine. Well, as it turns out, it’s true. There are many benefits to laughing – especially as it relates to health and staying healthy longer.
As we age, more and more things can cause stress – but it’s impossible to be stressed when you laugh. When we laugh, our physiology literally changes; our blood pressure goes down and our heart health improves. The body releases endorphins (happy hormones), which boost our mood and lowers production of the stress hormones; adrenalin and cortisol.
Click below to read an article about other ways to up your happy hormones.
Another benefit to laughter is that it tends to make us breath more deeply which is good for the lungs, supplies more oxygen to our cells, and relaxes our blood vessels – ultimately improving blood circulation throughout our entire bodies. Laughter also has positive effects on the immune system and the brains.
In addition to all that, there are also social benefits to laughing; nothing brings people together like a good laugh, it’s hard to stay angry with someone when your laughing with them, and a shared laughter is a sure way to build better, longer lasting relationships.
So laugh it up. Tell a joke. Pull a prank. Whatever it takes – have a laugh or two – think of it as, “Doctor’s Orders.”