Weekly Challenge
Joy and Laughter
Last week I was focused on considering summer pattern and in the meantime, I have been very aware that I very much associate summer with laughter – It just might have something to do with the water fights and sand and sea!
Now there is no denying that laughter is a very powerful tool that is accessible to most of us. And you may ask, why is laughter important. Well here are a couple of good health benefits of laughter that we all need to know about.
- LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE: People who lower their blood pressure, even those who start at normal levels, will reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack.
- REDUCE STRESS HORMONE LEVELS: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones, and this reduces the impact on anxiety and stress on the body.
- WORKS YOUR ABS: Laughter can help you tone your abs. When you are laughing, the muscles in your stomach expand and contract, just like when you intentionally exercise your abs.
- IMPROVES CARDIAC HEALTH Laughter is a great cardio workout. It gets your heart pumping and burns a similar number of calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace.
- BOOSTS T-CELLS: When you laugh, you activate T-cells that immediately begin to help you fight off sickness.
- TRIGGERS THE RELEASE OF ENDORPHINS Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. By laughing, you can release endorphins, which can help ease chronic pain and make you feel good all over.
- PRODUCES A GENERAL SENSE OF WELL-BEING: Laughter increases your overall sense of well-being
In an ideal world we would all experience spontaneous laughter on a regular basis. However, it is very easy when we are very busy both at work and with family life that we can miss out on our daily dose of laughter. We may be keeping our heads down and miss the opportunities to hear the funny stories or watch good comedy.
So, my challenge to you this week, is to take time to re-look at your personal health and wellness plans. I am sure that it will include healthy eating, sleeping and exercise actions. However, have you equally included opportunities for laughter?
If you do not have laughter as part of your daily life take the opportunity to see what changes you could make so that you create more laughter in your life
And remember smile, laugh, and live longer!
Warm Wishes,
Mary Corbett