In the spirit of April Fools Day, we thought we’d give ourselves the giggles! Nothing takes the edge off of any situation (including when you’re maxing your workout) better than laughing your gluts off! And it turns out that laughter is actually GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH!
Read on to learn WHY laughter is good for you and WHERE in Mount Pleasant and Charleston you can find the funnies locally!
LAUGHTER Reduces STRESS:
According to Time Magazine, who sites Dr. Lee Berk (an associate professor at Loma Linda University in California who has spent nearly three decades studying the ways the aftershocks of a good laugh ripple through your brain and body):
“Laughter shuts down the release of stress hormones like cortisol. It also triggers the production of feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine, which have all kinds of calming, anti-anxiety benefits. Think of laughter as the yin to stress’s yang…Thanks largely to these stress-quashing powers, laughter has been linked to health benefits ranging from lower levels of inflammation to improved blood flow.”
LAUGHTER Conquers GERMS:
The Mayo Clinic explains that laughter can reverse the damage that negativity can wreak on your health: “Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.”
So what ARE these magical neuropeptides? Science Daily quotes experts at Weill Cornell Medicine: “The immune system and neuronal system don’t act independently…These guys are dancing like a tango…The lining of the gut is home to many immune system cells, which serve as a defense against parasites and other infections.” So essentially, the more you laugh, the more power you are giving to these neuropeptides!
LAUGHTER Helps Your WORKOUT:
Mens Fitness has an awesome article that lists “5 Ways Laughter Can Enhance Your Workout” that we totally recommend you check out! But our favorite nugget from this piece: Laughter can actually BE a workout!
The article states: “It’s called a belly laugh for a reason. With core strength and agility being so vital to physical fitness, its good to know that laughing exercises the diaphragm while also contracting your abdominal muscles and even your shoulders. The result is not only a mini workout crunch (according to laughteryoga.com), but also a release of tension throughout the body to keep your muscles loose and limber for the long haul.”
So let’s get laughing! Click on the links below to find some of our favorite Workout Humor as well as local laughing spots in Mount Pleasant and Charleston!
LAUGHTER starts NOW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6AuZS580n4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU4EJfX2aXE
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/bioflex/2861339?snl=1
LOCAL LAUGHING SPOTS:
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