One of the simplest tools to healthy aging is laughter. Research indicates that the act of laughing helps relieve negative stress (also known as distress, which can be a cause for cognitive impairment that accompanies old age). It also suggests that laughing can have several positive effects on health, which can contribute to healthy aging.

When you laugh, your body undergoes changes. The muscles on the face and body get stretched when you laugh. This is accompanied by a rise in your pulse and blood pressure. At this point your breathing will pick up pace and more blood will be sent to your tissues. The effects of this can be similar to those of exercising or working out. Here are a few other health benefits of laughter:

Strengthen your immune system

Laughing can make your immune system stronger than what it is. This means that your body’s ability to fight infections and diseases improves. Laughter works by increasing the production of immune cells in the body. It can also encourage your body to increase levels of anti-bodies that fight infections.

Improving cardiovascular health

As laughter has the ability to increase blood flow, it can be extremely beneficial for those suffering from poor blood flow to heart muscles. When you laugh, your blood vessels expand, as the act serves as a vasodilator. This means that your body has improved blood circulation.

Those suffering from high blood pressure can also benefit from laughing. As blood pressure drops when you laugh, doing so for ten minutes a day can bring about a maximum decrease of 20mm in blood pressure. This can last for approximately ten minutes after laughing.

Prevent diabetes

Another key benefit of laughter is that it can help prevent type II diabetes. This is based on the fact that the process can have an impact on the regulation of a few gene expressions. These are genes that can play a vital role in controlling type II diabetes.

Here are a few other health benefits of laughter:

Laughter can reduce the incidences of asthma and bronchitis. It does this by increasing your lung capacity. This can expand your airway and help clear phlegm accumulation. Also, by laughing oxygen levels in the blood can reach optimal levels and cause a reduction in bronchial spasms.

One of the key advantages of laughter is that it helps reduce pain. It does this by stimulating the release of endorphins, natural pain killers.

Anxiety and depression can be relieved if you spend a few minutes laughing each day. This is because the process causes the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin which encourage you to feel good.

How to incorporate laughter into your daily routine

To enjoy the benefits of laughter, incorporate it in your daily routine. You can do this by reading a few of your favorite comic strips in the morning. Or dedicate half an hour in the day to watch a show that makes you laugh. Another way to make laughter a part of your life is to practice Laughter Yoga. This is best when learned from a professional yoga trainer. Laughter helps enhance sleep and eliminate sleep disorders like insomnia. So, if you suffer from sleep disorders, read a funny book before sleeping.

Author Bio: Sally Grey specializes in writing articles about health, diet, longevity and health specialists like Brenda Rusnak. Brenda Rusnak is a health care specialist who writes about healthy-aging and prevention. For more information about healthy-aging and Brenda Rusnak, check her out on LinkedIn.

Category: Advice
Keywords: Experience, Enhanced, Health, Laughter and longevity,healthy-aging