Laughing Your Way to a Healthy Life

Did you know that children laugh an average of 300-400 times a day, while adults only average 12-15 genuine laughs throughout their busy days? This may lead some to question the importance of such a statistic, but believe it or not, Physician Maxine Barish of the Sutter Medical Foundation explains that laughter is the best medicine. Laughter has extraordinary health benefits. From giving your lungs and heart a workout and dilating your blood vessels to lowering your blood pressure and even protecting yourself from heart disease, laughing is an important part of our daily routine that many overlook. In fact, 15 minutes of laughter can burn up to 50 calories, and strengthen a person's immune system. People who laugh get sick less often because laughter produces more antibodies that protect us from infection. Even more, laughter produces helpful endorphins that can reduce chronic pain and curb your appetite. The best part about this funny discovery is the amount of resources available to help produce these laughs. New yoga classes are teaching people the benefits of laughter and encouraging people to take a breath and avoid putting their bodies in stressful situations. Enjoy a comedy show or movie, surround yourself with funny people, but most importantly, laugh deeply and laugh a lot! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoPoH3Y4NKg