25 Reasons You Need To Laugh Out Loud Often

Laughing has the ability to ease tension by relaxing the muscles throughout the body, particularly the muscles of the face, neck, shoulder, and abdomen. When laughter is uncontrolled, this creates a convulsive reaction that helps loosen muscular tension and mobilize breathing.

People who love laughing and have a positive outlook on life have consistently lower levels of stress hormones. As the levels of these hormones decrease, the body becomes more relaxed and feels not just physically, but also emotionally rested.

Loma Linda University researchers found that even anticipating a good laugh produced an increase in HGH (an anti-aging hormone) of as much as 87%.

Laughing revives blood circulation and increases oxygenation of the blood within the body, which is especially important to your heart. This dramatic increase in blood flow can reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks.

In a study conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center, the results indicated that laughter seemed to cause the endothelium (tissue that composes the lining of blood vessels) to expand, allowing for better blood flow.

In another study conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center, a correlation was demonstrated between people who laugh often and overall heart health. The researchers found that people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

According to the National Cancer Institute, laughter keeps the stress hormones under control and aids immune system agents such as the NK cells, lymphocytes, B cells, and T cells function optimally.

Scientific research has suggested that by lowering our blood pressure, boosting our immune functions, decreasing stress hormones, etc, laughter actually helps us recuperate faster from various ailments.

Laughter provides one of the best health benefits for diabetics. In a 2012 study performed on 19 diabetic patients, it was demonstrated that laughter helped suppress blood sugar levels by improving the ratio glucose excursion in the presence of insufficient insulin action after having eaten a meal.

Japanese researchers found that laughing in the evening encourages the body to produce more melatonin (the hormone released by the brain at sleep onset). For this reason, it is recommended to watch a funny show or movie before bed.

Laughter causes the brain to release stress relieving endorphins which increases people’s ability to cope with stressful situations. Laughter causes stress-inducing hormones such as cortisol and dopamine to dramatically decrease in levels.

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that laughter plays a significant role in increasing a person’s pain tolerance by encouraging the body to release the feel-good chemical endorphin. This powerful chemical also acts as a great pain reliever. So the next time you find yourself in any pain, try your best to laugh it off (or if it’s serious, you should probably go to the hospital).

Laughing can actually be a form of exercise, too. Laughing exercises the diaphragm, shoulders, and abdomen. (However, don’t quit your gym membership in exchange for a “Laugh-your-self-into-great-shape” plan.)

Research has shown that laughing increases your attractiveness. Research also shows that it’s easier for someone to become physically intimate if the person is witty and funny. So start working on those jokes!

Laughter is said to be like a hypothetical knife that cuts tension from a room and allows people to relax. As laughter helps reduce the levels of stress hormones in the body and relax the muscles, it helps people become calmer and less aggressive.

Laughter improves blood flow, controls stress hormones and provides a burst of exercise. Laughter can also convey a wake-up call to body organs such as the heart, brain, and lungs and stimulates them into action.

Research shows that laughter facilitates digestion and serves as therapy that can help alleviate irritable bowel syndrome. 

Doctors in western Japan once provided elderly people with inclusive medical care programs that involved both physical training and laughter therapy. About 92 percent of the beneficiaries reported that their annual medical costs fell 30% after joining the program.

Laughter increases lung capacity and clears out your lungs by forcing enough stale air out thus allowing fresh air to enter into more areas of the lung.  Laughter causes you to experience longer exhales, which along with forcing out stale air, also increases the amount of oxygen flowing in your blood stream.

According to studies, laughter has a strong influence on a person’s self-image (especially for men). For example, when a person laughs at a man’s jokes, it gives that man a sense of pride. (So ladies, if you want to reach a man’s heart? laugh at his jokes…all of them.)

Aside from causing people to think logically, laughter also encourages creativity. In fact, it is often considered a “creative thinking exercise” to purposely laugh out loud.

The combination of the many benefits to laughter has shown to increase longevity of life. In fact, in a 20 year study, researchers found that those who held a more positive outlook on life increased their lifespan to 7.8 more years.

Some studies show that laughter actually positively affects productivity. The positive mood of a person allows them to be more efficient in creative problem solving. They also have more energy, have higher motivation to work, and are optimistic about challenges that come their way.

According to studies, couples who do sessions of laughter meditation together find a tremendous improvement in their relationship. Moreover, families that laugh often have closer ties and do well in balancing the stresses of life.

The face displays a great amount of our stress via tightened muscles and wrinkles. But when we laugh, tension from the face, neck, and head is released. As such, we maintain a more youthful appearance.