Kids laugh 400 times a day; adults 15.Isn’t it weird when the world is not laughing? Apparently, adults need to laugh more as laughter is beneficial to one’s health.Laughter is good to the body because it stretches and works out the muscles. Laughing for 20 seconds is equivalent to three minutes on the rowing machine. Nice!

Actually, laughter is now a trend for fitness. Barb Fisher, an instructor at the University of Michigan’s Mfit Health promotion division promotes the Hasya Yoga, or the laughter yoga.

Hasya Yoga is very popular in many countries particularly in the United States and India. It is a daily routine and starts by chanting “ho ho, ha ha ha” while clapping and walking around the room.In the next half hour, they need to laugh for 30 minutes. Yes, 30 minutes. No matter what kind of laughter it may be - from hard belly laughs to soft giggles - the important thing is that the muscles are moving and the lungs taking in and out air.

Hasya Yoga provides stress relief, boosts the immune system, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It also helps the digestive system by avoiding constipation.”It gives me a relaxed feeling, and yet I actually feel like I worked out,” says Ann Twork, a Hasya Yoga doer.

Source: www.sify.com

Here is a charming article we found from a Philippine News report:

Estrella Clamar turned 100 years last May 3, despite her age, she can still cook, do gardening and go to the market; all by herself.What made her stay that long?

She answers that she always put labor into practice. “If you don’t work, your blood will not properly circulate throughout your body, making you feel weak,” she said.

Her 60-year old daughter Lilia Camral is telling her mother to stop working because of her old age, but her mother just continues to do so because that is what makes her happy!

This native from Iloilo City in the Philippines said that she is still alive because she simply loves to be happy. She said that worrying about problems in a big no-no. “There’s no use in wallowing in our daily problems, as long as there’s joy… dance! I’m a good dancer you know,” she said, laughing.

Source: www.abs-cbn.com

We all knew having a good laugh makes us feel better physically, emotionally and sometimes, socially.

Laughter oftentimes breaks the ice between two acquiantances, instantly forming a bond between them. Laughter is also sadness’ greatest enemy.

But most people do not know the effects of laughter in ourselves. So, what do laughter really do to us?

Laughter makes the blood go around our bodies easier. In a research of the University of Maryland, they segragated people into two groups, one will watch drama while the other comedy. After wathing the movie, those who watched comedy have normal blood pressure and they blood vessels expanding and contracting easily. On the other hand, those who watched drama had tense blood vessels which restrict blood flow.

For diabetic patients, laughter is beneficial. In a study with 19 people with diabetes, they found out that those who watched comedy have lower blood levels and at the same time happier!

It also makes bodies slender! A researcher names Maciej Buchowski from Vanderbilt University studied the effect of laughter in burning calories. He found out that 50 calories are burned after 10-15 minutes of laughter. That is an equivalent of a serving of pineapple and boiled cauliflower!

“I believe that if people can get more laughter in their lives, they are a lot better off… They might be healtier too!” Steve Wilson, M.A., CSP, a psychologist and laugh therapist said.

Julian Roseus was diagnosed 2 years ago with renal cell carcinoma, a rare type of cancer of the kidney that affects only three percent of the population. He was given a short time to live yet he was on “overtime,” a term coined by his friends as he is now part of the elite five percent who outlived the life expectancy of five years with this kind of cancer. “For me, it’s a miracle that he is still alive. It’s also a miracle how we are surviving,” his wife said.Friends describe him as funny, always laughing and has an infectious smile. “No one would think he has cancer,” his doctor, Efren Capistrano, also a grade school and high-school classmate said. “He has the uncanny ability to crack jokes about his condition.” He even joked about his death: “A wake is fun because it’s like a reunion. But the departed cannot attend. So I said, we should celebrate now so I can participate,” he said in Filipino.

“His condition, however, is serious. His right kidney removed, Roseus is currently taking a drug which has so far reduced the size of tumors that have metastasized in his lungs. But the medication produces a side effect which requires him to undergo minor surgery on a delicate part of his body once or twice a week.”

Despite this, he maintains a normal and productive life He works as a consultant for overseas Filipino workers, goes out with friends, does household chores and even goes on a weekend excursions to Cavite.

He drew his strength by his faith.

“Sometimes, help is short and transient. So faith is the only way to go. Once we are properly disposed [toward faith], it becomes a source of grace.”

He believes God gave him the disease as a gift to find lasting happiness which is in heaven. “Recognizing my mortality made it easier for me to accept my fate,” he said.

Currently, he is undergoing treatment and so far, his body is cooperating with it. He looks forward to his 50th wedding even though they just celebrated their silver wedding last January.

Source: www.inquirer.net