5 Reasons To Laugh More Often

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose. ~Woody Allen

Laughter is strong medicine for the mind and the body. It’s a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and anxiety.

Nothing brings your mind and body back into balance like a good laugh. It makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter fades.

Humour always helps you keep a positive outlook. It lightens your burdens, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

Here are 5 reasons to laugh more often:

- It Enhances Blood Pressure and Flow

When it comes to cardiac health, seriousness may be, well, as serious as a heart attack. That's because laughter has been shown to lower or balance blood pressure and increase vascular blood flow. Scientific studies have shown that by reviving blood circulation and increasing oxygenation of the blood, laughter may help to prevent heart disease.

- It Improves Blood Sugar Levels

In a medical study, people with type 2 diabetes and those without the disease ate a meal, and then attended a boring lecture; the next day, the subjects again ate the same meal, but then joined a comedy show audience. The subjects recorded that blood glucose levels didn't increase after the meal for the diabetic patients at the comedy show. Researchers haven't pinpointed the exact cause -- perhaps laughter impacts the neuroendocrine system and restrains blood sugar levels from spiking, or it may cause the acceleration of glucose use by muscle motion.

- It Relieves Stress

Laughter decreases levels of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine that can suppress the immune system, opening the floodgates to a host of infections, illnesses and general poor health. It also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of wellbeing and can even temporarily relieve pain.

- It Provides a Burst of Exercise

According to researchers, laughing 100 times is equivalent to 10 minutes on a rowing machine or 15 minutes on the stationary bicycle. And the best part is that you don't need to break a sweat in order to have really good laugh! Besides that laughter can momentarily clear the respiratory system. Just like with exercise, people tend to take deep breaths in and out during heavy laughter, which helps unclog airways and enhances inhalation and oxygen intake.

- It Boosts Your Social Skills

They say when you laugh, the world laughs with you, but when you weep, you weep all by yourself. That's because no one wants to hang around someone who has nothing positive to say. Finding the humor in life and being able to laugh at it will only improve your social skills. Many scientists believe laughter allows humans to connect, bond and communicate with each other. The more comfortable you feel with someone else, the easier it becomes to laugh. In fact, leading researchers believe people are 30 times more likely to laugh in social settings than if they were alone.

Funniest Personal Trainer In London?

If you have been following my blog posts, you may remember that I mentioned recently taking part in a comedy show. Basically, I heard about this stand-up comedy workshop, and it’s something I’ve always enjoyed, I thought I’d give it a try. Little did I know that by taking part you also commit to doing a 5-minute stand-up comedy set at a famous pub in Central London!

Here is a video from the event. It was an amazing experience, considering that it was the first time I’ve ever done it. Pardon some of my rude jokes, and remember that it’s not necessarily a true story unless a comedian explicitly states that it is :)