Laugh Your Way to a Healthy Heart
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day!
Heart disease is no laughing matter. But laughter can help ward off heart disease!
According to the American nonprofit Mayo Clinic, when it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and belly laughs may help. Laughing both lightens your mental load mentally and causes physical changes in your body:
Laughing boy in Don Det (Si Phan Don), Laos.
(Source: Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 International license)
- When you laugh, you breathe, prompting a range of physical responses that engage the heart, lungs, and muscles.
- It also releases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, those “feel-good” chemicals that can lift our mood, support thinking, and help relieve anxiety.
- Hard and deep laughs activate the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system, creating a relaxation response. This return of the body to equilibrium helps you manage stress more easily and prevents its long-term negative effects.
- Studies show that laughing sets off changes in the body that can help reduce blood pressure. It could “lower blood pressure as much as cutting salt from your diet or dropping 10 lbs. [4.5 kg].”
- Laughter also can stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, relieving some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Laughing also has other benefits
According to Ashley Olivine, a psychologist and public health professional, laughter also may:
- Lower stress hormones that can weaken the immune system, such as cortisol, and boost certain immune cells that fight illness.
- Ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers, which also shifts your focus away from feeling uncomfortable.
- Make it easier to cope with tough situations and to connect with other people.
- Help lessen your stress, depression, and anxiety.
- Make you feel happier and improve your self-esteem.
How to get more laughs
(Source: AI-generated laughing heart)
Try laughter yoga: Research indicates that laughter yoga can improve physical and mental health, sleep, and social interactions, contributing to a better quality of life.
Be social: One study found that people are 30 times more likely to laugh in social settings – personal interactions and conversations – than alone. We’ve all heard that laughter is contagious.
Observe the world around you: Laughter often occurs when you least expect it.
Other ways to be heart healthy
Stand up and move
Taking care of your heart involves more than formal physical activity: everyday movement, from walking and household chores to dancing, yoga, and strength training, can contribute to cardiovascular health. Managing stress and making time for laughter can also help reduce the risk of heart disease.
For adults, the American Heart Association recommends aiming for about 2½ hours of moderate aerobic exercise each week, or half that amount if the activity is vigorous. These sessions are best distributed across the week. It also advises including muscle-strengthening exercises, such as lifting weights or doing resistance exercises, on at least two days each week.
Know what you’re eating
Heart-healthy changes include managing excess body fat, eating more soluble fiber, and incorporating omega-3-rich fish into your diet each week. Limiting salt and saturated fat, along with eating foods such as nuts and dark chocolate and drinking tea, may also benefit heart health.
