Have you had a good laugh lately? We know that one way to manage life’s stresses and lower blood pressure is to have a good, hard belly laugh…but do you know why that is true?
Not only do we feel better and less stressed for the few moments while we chuckle or laugh, there are also long-term effects which help our bodies relieve themselves of tension and help reduce stress-related hormones. At the same time, it increases anti-aging hormones!
Laughing increases blood circulation, helping the blood stream deliver oxygen and nutrients. It increases the number of disease-fighting cells called NK, or Natural Killer, cells and improves immunity.
A good laugh also relaxes muscles; the muscles not involved in the action of laughter are relaxed, and those that are involved in laughing relax immediately after. Relaxed muscles impose less strain and, therefore, less pressure on the blood vessels. The lungs get a good workout, expelling more air than they’re taking in. So, after a bout of laughter, we breathe deeper and get more oxygen into the bloodstream.
In contrast, harboring feelings of resentment or bitterness will have opposite effects, increasing blood pressure, decreasing NK cells, decreasing anti-aging hormones. So, ‘tis better to laugh whenever you are able.
Laughter: good for the heart – in more ways than one!
www.lansing-chiropractic.com
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