The Benefits of Laughter

Laughter is not only good for the soul, it is also good for the body as well.

During a laugh, the throat goes into un-coordinated spasms sending blasts of air out of the mouth at 110 km/h.

The body starts pumping adrenaline; the heart rate increases; the brain releases endorphins and enkephalins --natural pain killers.

The lungs pump out carbon dioxide, the eyes cleanse themselves with tears, muscles relax and lose their tenseness. The exercise value of laughter is so great that William Fry, a psychiatrist at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California, claims laughing 100 times a day is the equivalent of 10 minutes of strenuous rowing.