Exercise Your Funny Bone

There's no magic pill for a day like this: You're stuck in the mother of all traffic jams. At work, the boss is breathing down your neck. There's no time for lunch. You make a mad dash for the supermarket before hurrying home to slap together dinner. Then it's time to help the kids with homework.

That kind of a day everyday is not good for your health. Laughter, on the other hand, is. Here are some examples of what laughter can do for you - mentally and physically:

• Your heart. Researchers are finding that laughter helps lower your blood pressure. A study from the University of Maryland showed that laughter causes the tissue forming the inner lining of blood vessels to expand, improving blood flow. That same study showed that stress, on the other hand, limits blood flow.

• Diabetes. A study found that people with type 2 diabetes had a smaller rise in blood sugar after they ate if they watched a comedy program compared with listening to a dull lecture.

• Stress. Taking your mind off your problems - even if only for a few minutes - helps relieve stress. You can accomplish this through laughter, which decreases stress hormones and helps your body relax.

• Immunity. Some research suggests laughter may actually help your body fight colds and other illnesses. It could be that people under stress have lower immune systems, and laughter helps reduce that stress, boosting their immune systems.

• Emotional pain. Laughter can help you deal better with highly stressful situations, such as the loss of a loved one or surviving a natural disaster. Being able to laugh can help relieve anxiety and lower anger.

• Social life. Remember that no one is perfect. Being able to laugh with your loved ones draws you closer to them. When you are happy and laughing, it rubs off on people.

Somewhere in you is that funny bone. Want to find it? Here's how:

• Listen to funny audiotapes on your way to work.
• Watch a comedy on television or see a funny movie.
• Play with the kids or teach the dog a funny trick.
• Think about something humorous that has happened in your life.
• Go out to lunch with friends who make you laugh.
• Pick up a humorous book.

Related Articles Laughter Is Often the Best Medicine Parenting With Love, Laughter and Limits

External Sources University of Maryland Medical Center Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor Hayashi, K., Hayashi, T., Iwanaga, S., Kawai, K., Ishii, H., Shoji, S., et al.(2003). Laughter lowered the increase in postprandial blood glucose. Diabetes Care 26, 1651-1652. Miller, M., Mangano, C., Park, Y., Goel, R., Plotnick, G., & Vogel, R. (University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore, Md.). Divergent effects of laughter and mental stress on endothelial function: Potential impact of entertainment. Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology, March 2005, Orlando, Fla.

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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