The Physical Effects of Laughter

Laughter activates tummy muscles

We all know that laughing a lot makes your tummy ache. Many of us will have had that wonderful experience of clutching your tummy when lost in laughter. Laughing can be graded from giggling all the way up to helpless laughter and when we laugh loudly and for a sustained period of time, our tummy muscles are activated even more than when we do a sit up. This makes laughter an abdominal muscle exercise.

Laughter produces deeper breathing

Laughter makes us breathe more deeply than we usually do. It changes our breathing pattern and can force out stale air and bring in more and fresher air into our lungs. If we laugh long and loudly, we can be left short of breath. It is a way of refreshing our breathing and can make us feel calm afterwards.

Laughter is like internal jogging

Next time you laugh, be aware of the change in pressurein the abdomen. These changes of pressure move the internal organs and have an effect which people have described as internal jogging. When we stay still for long periods of time, we can become generally sluggish. Movement anywhere in our body make us feel good and more alive.

Laughter is good exercise

So, laughter not only activates many muscles in the tummy and rib cage, but is also a good whole-body exercise. It activates our muscles, changes our breathing, and is fun. Laughter affects our body and our brain and produces endorphins in a similar way to other exercise for example walking uphill. Laughter is especially good at switching off thoughts and so can be helpful in changing the way we think about things.

Laughter cheers us up

We all know that at its basic, laughter is a powerful tool for boosting mood. It makes us feel better and more positive about life. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you are laughing and laughing changes perspective.

Take time to notice where in your body you feel the effects of laughter and join our Laughter Fit sessions for free during lockdown to enjoy the experience.

Anna