[ad_1]
August 02, 2024 04:07 PM IST
From boosting heart health to improving relationships, here’s how laughter can improve our lives.
Laughter has its own benefits. It helps improve mood and create a sense of community among people. But did you know that laughing more can help you avoid heart diseases? Researchers at Yamagata University conducted a new research in which they tracked 17,152 people aged 40 or younger and their laughing patterns. Their study says that when we laugh more, we can improve our heart health. Now this study has inspired the Japanese government to pass a law ordering citizens of the northern province of Yamagata to laugh daily.
The study says that increasing the frequency of laughter can improve heart health and help us live longer. The benefits of laughter have been extensively explored and studied across the world. A study published in the journal Preventive Medicine says that when older adults laugh more with their friends and family, they can reduce the risk of developing health problems that commonly occur to people their age.
Also Read: World Laughter Day 2022: The many benefits of laughter therapy
Laughter helps reduce anxiety
Another study in Nursing and Health Sciences states that when we laugh dramatically, it can lower the levels of cortisol – the stress hormone – in the body and reduce anxiety. Laughter helps activate the body’s natural relaxation process and makes us feel better.
Robin Dunbar, emeritus professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford, has studied the physiological and psychological effects of laughter for years. He said that laughing improves mood and boosts immunity. He further said that when we laugh while holding our stomachs, the tension in the ribs helps in the release of endorphins, which help reduce pain, make us feel happy and promote better heart health.
Also read: World Laughter Day: Experts tell easy ways to bring laughter in life
The social benefits of laughter
While laughter contributes to improved health, its benefits for social behaviour are far greater. Sophie Scott, professor and director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, said: “We are more inclined to laugh with someone else, not just ourselves. It helps to form a bond and make us feel included. Laughter improves the quality of our relationships – it also makes our hearts feel younger and happier.”
Also read: World Laughter Day: Practice laughter yoga for these 5 health benefits
[ad_2]
