Laughter has long been believed to have great health benefits, like strengthening your immune system, releasing stress, reducing pain, and improving cardiovascular function. But does laughing help you lose weight? Many experts say yes.
Laughter can encourage weight loss by:
– Burning more calories.
Did you know that laughing raises your heart rate and burns calories? Not enough calories to be considered physical exercise, but at more than one calorie burned per minute, laughter can definitely help you burn a few extra calories throughout your day. It all adds up!
– Reducing emotional eating.
One of the major causes of emotional eating is the presence of negative emotions like anxiety, fear, sadness and frustration. Many people eat in an attempt to quiet these unsettling feelings – but they could just as easily focus on something funny to transform those negative emotions into positive ones, and reduce the need to eat in response to emotional triggers.
– Releasing stress.
Another reason many people overeat is because of stress. Whether their stress is brought on by work demands, family problems, a hectic schedule, health issues, the challenges of being overweight, or all of the above, eating comfort foods may seem to be their only option for feeling better. Laughter eases those feelings of pressure, creates a pleasant relaxed feeling in the body, and reduces the urge to overeat.
Making Laughter a Priority
The challenging thing about using laughter for weight loss and improved health is that you have to do it frequently. One good chuckle a day is a good start but not enough to inspire great changes on its own. Instead, aim for several sessions per day, each session lasting at least a few minutes.
If you have trouble tickling your funny bone, try watching a comedy movie or television show. Buy some joke books and read a few pages each day, laughing at the ones you find funniest.
Laughing with other people might be more effective than trying to do it on your own, so be sure to spend time with friends and swap jokes, reminisce over humorous memories, and engage in activities that inspire laughter.