The Importance of Laughter Essay Example

once again, without any cost attached.

Laughter is more beneficial than it seems, and life without it will surely be regretted. The Importance of Laughter Do you want to catch something that is as contagious as the flu but actually has positive effects on your body? Laughter is the highly recommended “disease”. The sound of laughter brings joy to its listeners and lures them into its depths. It captivates persons of all genders, moods, races and ages; it is that entrancing. Additionally, laughter has been proven to be a medicine that can heal body, soul and mind all at the same time sans side effects and possible harm.

There is a famous proverb which gives support to that statement which says “Laughter is the best medicine. ” (Unknown) It has been proven that laughter has the ability to regulate, if not cure, various illnesses that we face on a daily basis. Laughter not only relieves stress and tension, it also aids with weight loss and can be beneficial regarding heart management. “If I don’t laugh, I will cry or scream. ” The storms of life very frequently bring us to this point in our lives.

More often than not, when the choice is made to laugh rather than choosing any of the other two options, the end result is significantly more rewarding. Yes, the issue may still be there but we have a better feeling about it. According to Elizabeth Scott, author of the article The Stress Management and Health Benefits of Laughter, “laughter reduces the levels of stress hormones”. “It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters,”

states Scott. The release of endorphins causes the body to be in more of a relaxed state, therefore bringing down the levels of stress and tension. Scott, 2012) In recent times, persons are becoming more health conscience and are seeking for ways to lose weight and stay healthy. The act of laughing is a sure calorie burner. Laughter is said to give the body a “mini aerobic workout”. When we laugh, our heart beat accelerates which causes greater amounts of blood to flow through the body. During laughing episodes, our abdominal muscles tighten. (Develin, 2009) Additionally, studies show that laughing for about ten to fifteen minutes per day burns up to fifty calories a day.

This calculates to a little over four pounds per year. (House, 2012) Although this may sound trivial, every pound counts! Add laughter to your regular exercise programs and see how much it will affect you. According to an article written by Michelle Murray, a laugh every day can possibly keep a heart attack away. A study done by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore proved that persons with heart disease were less likely to laugh in the assessed situations as opposed to persons without heart disease.

The study was done in order to deduce that laughter could be a possible preventative method for heart disease. Studies have confirmed that stress is linked with the destruction of the endothelium, which is the protective barrier that lines the blood vessels in the body. Increased stress levels will cause the barrier to disintegrate which can then result in a build up in the coronary arteries and eventually

lead to a heart attack.

When we laugh to relieve stress and/or tension, we are also preventing a life threatening attack on our bodies as well. (Murray, 2009) With all of the side effects that medicines possess, in addition to the excessively priced medicine, it is great to know that there is a cure out there that is free of charge and has no negative side effects. Additionally, this “cure” also helps with weight loss, once again, without any cost attached. Laughter is more beneficial than it seems, and life without it will surely be regretted.