Benefits of Laughter – How Laughter is Medicine for a Healthy Heart

What Are The Benefits Of Laughter For The Body?

The benefits of laughter are more than a momentary lift in spirit. Science has discovered that the old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine,” isn’t just a feel good statement. There are definite positive health benefits including a healthy heart.

At the American Heart Association’s 73rd Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, a study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore discovered that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in comparison to people in the same age range without heart disease.

Upon reading this, the first thing that popped into my mind was “Why does it help the heart?”

Medicine is not an exact science, but in their guesstimation, researchers believe that laughter promotes a healthy heart because:

• Mental stress impairs the protective barrier lining the blood vessels

• Inflammation occurs

• Cholesterol and fat build up in the major arteries

• The person experiences a heart attack

Laughter also has a positive health effect on the rest of the body:

• Pain is lessened with a good laugh because it causes endorphins to be releases and they are the feel-good hormones.

• A great belly laugh increases the immune system with antibodies that fight infection and that assists in resisting disease.

• Laughing stretches the muscles in the face and body, which increases the pulse, hikes up the blood pressure, we breath more and that causes an increase of oxygen to the body

• Laughing wholeheartedly relaxes muscles for forty-five minutes.

• Assists in lowering blood sugar levels

That all sounds very scientific, but makes total sense!

What Are The Benefits Of Laughter For The Mind?

In addition to the body’s health, laughter and humor is great for the mind. Laughing can change your attitude or perspective in a situation. It is hard, if not impossible, to stay angry while laughing. While the endorphins are multiplying and the muscles relax, it becomes easier to resolve conflict, form a cohesive team and strengthen relationships. Other people will be drawn to us like a moth to the flame because we will give off a feel-good-healthy-heart feeling.

Why Is Joining and Participating In My Community Good For You?

My community is filled with people that enjoy sharing and supporting one another. There are many who are also great comedians and have on many occasions, quite literally made me laugh out loud.

The BlogFrog platform has a landing page which highlights the most active communities. In order to stay on the first page, people in the community must chat. It requires the whole group to participate in creating discussions and chatting in order to remain a top community.

Of course, being an active community not only creates a sense of team spirit, but also makes us more visible to new BlogFrog participants. With increased activity and a prime location on the landing page, sponsors are more likely to ask for assistance in promoting their products. That in turn helps me to offer you, my community and blog followers, large giveaways.

Just let that information mull around in your subconscious for a bit and you will realize that the community is a place that can help my blog continue to have exciting surprises for my readers. This week everyone did a great job because we not only stayed on the front page, but was the number one most active community most of the week.

Why Is My Community Good For Your Health?

My community is also good for creating a healthy heart. Seriously! Everything that you just read about how laughter helps the heart to remain healthy is true. In my community, you will laugh until tears roll down your cheeks.

Oh, you want proof?

Well, the people in my community are very witty and intelligent.

One day I popped into a discussion to discover some artwork…

Who Are The Top 9 Rockin’ Friends This Week?

Everyone knows that if they are among the top nine most active members in the community, they will appear in the Rockin’ Friends post Sunday night on my blog. Of course, I always take myself off the list. There are several weeks that I am the top poster and seen as “the one to beat” all in good fun.

I must say, I’m truly not that talkative of a person, so how I end up at the top of the list is really quite amusing to me. Anyway, on one of the weeks that I was posting like a crazy girl, several others were trying to outdo me. During a conversation, they decided to create a picture of me mowing one of them down, namely Joan of A Bad Marriage Is Fattening (She’s also having her blog redesigned, but the writing will still make you laugh hysterically….hysterically…hysterically.). Bev of eBlebco (The smart lady who is teaching me to use coupons and save lots of money. We still have a long way to go, Bev! However, she seems to have the patience of Job and that’s a good thing if you’re talking to me about coupons) was the artist and created the lovely picture of me on a tractor.

I must tell you, I laughed so hard that my stomach ached when I first saw that picture.

So my community is definitely good for your heart because you will find some very funny conversations going on in there and as stated above, laughter promotes a healthy heart!

Aleta of Aleta’s ArtyFacts is one of our friend’s from Australia. She says things totally different than us. For instance, the word “tip” means “trash,” so you can imagine how that was totally misinterpreted in a conversation!

Then there is Marlene of Marlene’s Many Hats who always takes on craft projects that are due in a week. That wouldn’t be a big deal except she has to make a billion of whatever it is that she sewing, gluing, etc. and there is always the panic to get it all done There’s no stopping her creative whims!

We are all learning to be more independent from Katlupe of Homesteading on the Internet. She lives in the middle of a state forest in New York and is not only frugal, but a pro at being a homesteader and I mean a pro! I am quite fascinated and intrigued by all the things she teaches us. I love reading about her daily activities and it makes me long to move to the country and write books all day.

Kim of Zany Housewife really does remind me of Lucille Ball. She has a quick wit and whips up the most delicious meals which she then uses to taunt us. Not that it bothers me a bit (not confessing that it she makes me so hungry even after I’ve already eaten).

There is also a talented artist in my community who helps to keep us thinking positively and that is the lovely Carol from Artmusedog. Yes, she has a dog and Zoe is very cute! Carol’s perspective is a bright ray of sunshine on our cloudy days, so it is always refreshing to read her comments and discussions.

Kristi of the Child Sensitive Communication Grid is the angelic voice in the community. She posted a video of herself singing, so we all know that I’m not exaggerating one bit. Her personality is light and refreshing like a new day. Kristi is always a joy to be around.

New on the scene is another lovely woman from Australia named Shawnnita of About Finding My Inner Alfalfa. With a title like that, you know I have already visited her great blog. I have also learned that she can type like a whiz. I’m sure we will be seeing a lot more of Shawnnita and look forward to getting to know her better.

While writing this post, I didn’t have to look at notes or page through discussions in my community in order to know the things I told you about each person. I can share this with you because we are not just a bunch of people in a forum…we are friends in a community and friends know each other through sharing life’s experiences. We laugh, cry, encourage, and pray together. So if you’re looking for some real friends and a place to belong, please join us. We are always ready to welcome a new person into our lives.

So for the visual reader like myself, let me present to your The Redhead Riter’s Top 9 Rockin’ Friends this week……

It should be quite apparent by now that laughter is the best medicine for the mind, body and soul. One of the best places to find great people and enjoy many humorous conversations is in my community. I hope that you will make an effort to laugh each day and if you ever need any help finding something to laugh about, you know where to find us.

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