Today, the average adult laughs no more than 2 to 3 minutes a day, compared with the 300 to 400 times a child laughs daily: adults limit themselves to a mere 20 bursts of laughter. Yet according to doctors, laughing 10 to 15 minutes a day is enough to keep you in good health. Free, side-effect-free and available at any moment, laughter acts like a genuine natural medicine on the entire body: breathing, digestion, pain, stress, sleep, the heart and the immune system.
Back in 1939, an adult still laughed 19 minutes a day; by 1983, just six minutes. Stressful living conditions and ever-growing social demands explain this decline in our lighter moments. The good news: a few minutes each day are enough to reclaim its benefits. Let's explore together why laughter has earned its reputation as a natural medicine.
| Era | An adult's daily laughing time |
|---|---|
| 1939 | 19 minutes a day |
| 1983 | 6 minutes a day |
| Today | 2 to 3 minutes a day |
Laughter: a complete physical workout for your body
A “stationary jog” with countless benefits
Laughter engages most of the body's muscles. As a result, many doctors regard it as a “stationary jog” that delivers the same benefits as moderate physical exercise. More enjoyable and easier to practise, this natural activity works the diaphragm while massaging the ribs.
A breathing technique close to yoga
Laughter has a particular influence on the amplitude of the breathing rhythm as well as the volume of air inhaled and exhaled. Inhalation grows deeper while exhalation intensifies. All the air held in the lungs is emptied completely.
These breathing characteristics of laughter come close to those of yoga. They allow for good respiratory training, essential to optimal health. The volume of exhaled air reaches its maximum, bringing about a complete detoxification of the lungs. What's more, this action cleanses and clears the upper airways.
This elimination of pulmonary residue proves especially beneficial. Since laughter increases the volume of air held in reserve, it makes for excellent rehabilitation in people suffering from respiratory insufficiency. It can even halt an asthma attack by relaxing the smooth muscle of the bronchi.
The benefits of laughter for digestion
Contrary to popular belief, the best way to digest a hearty meal is to laugh. The contraction of the abdominal muscles churns the digestive tract deeply. Through the movement of the diaphragm, laughter also produces contractions of the stomach and intestine.
This action massages these organs and optimises the digestive process. As a result, laughter massages the large intestine and the small intestine, helping to combat constipation.
Laughter also acts on the parasympathetic system. It encourages an increased production of saliva and of the digestive juices necessary for good digestion. The accessory glandular organs of the digestive tract also benefit from these effects.
The secretion of liquid pancreatic juice is stimulated by laughter. Likewise, symptoms linked to hepatic insufficiency ease as the muscular movements massage the liver. Bile secretion improves considerably.
The increased respiratory exchange during laughter also promotes the elimination of cholesterol through the bile ducts and the lungs.
Laughter as a powerful natural painkiller
Four mechanisms of action against pain
Laughter acts on pain through four different mechanisms. First, it takes a suffering person's mind off things by diverting their attention. This distraction reduces their own perception of the pain.
The significance of pain depends partly on the significance we give it. Laughter allows us to adopt a positive, optimistic attitude towards life. This approach indirectly affects a person's attitude towards their pain.
In general, pain is accompanied by a muscular contraction in the injured area. Through its action on the parasympathetic system, laughter reduces this muscular tension. It can even bring about the complete disappearance of the pain.
Production of endorphins and catecholamines
Laughter stimulates the production of catecholamines which, in turn, stimulate the production of endorphins. These natural substances reduce pain in the body. Catecholamines also lessen inflammatory pain.
The higher their level, the better they are able to fight inflammation. With laughter, you gain the advantages of pain-relieving substances without the drawbacks of chemical products.
Withstanding stress through the benefits of laughter
Stress is the body's reaction to psychological tension or to significant physical effort. It generally triggers a nervous and hormonal process based on a state of alert. This activation explains the heightened state of vigilance and the raised heart rate.
Although it can sometimes prove beneficial by allowing us to respond quickly to dangerous situations, it often makes things worse. It generates what is known as “bad stress” and can cause physical problems such as ulcers. It also brings about psychological disorders: sleep disturbances, nervousness, fatigue, depression.
The balance of the nervous systems
Laughter establishes a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which makes it a powerful stress reliever. When laughter is sustained, the parasympathetic system becomes dominant. The heart rate then slows, the blood vessels dilate and the muscles relax.
These mechanisms reduce states of stress and lower the incidence of cardiovascular events. Laughter stimulates the secretion of endorphins (the happiness hormones), which soothe the body. They enhance well-being and reduce the effects of adrenaline and cortisol.
Catecholamines, whose production is triggered by laughter, have an antidepressant effect on the body. Laughter is a mental stimulant that helps build the walls of optimism, our first line of defence against stress. To care for your inner balance during difficult times, you can also read our article on grief and resilience.
Laughter and the quality of sleep
Laughter eases the transition from wakefulness to sleep. We should not assume there is a strict separation between these two states, whose systems depend on different neurotransmitters.
Serotonin governs falling asleep and slow-wave sleep, while noradrenaline and dopamine manage the arousal system. If the latter is strongly stimulated by laughter over the course of an evening, it readily gives way to the sleep system.
Let's not forget the effects of laughter: massaging the internal organs, muscular relaxation, mental unwinding. The ruminations so often responsible for insomnia are thus kept at bay.
The benefits of laughter for the cardiovascular system
During laughter, breathing intensifies and alters the heart rate. The heart speeds up at first, then, thanks to the parasympathetic system which ultimately takes over, it slows down to a low frequency. Blood pressure drops.
With the initial rise in heart rate, laughter stimulates blood circulation and increases the oxygenation of the heart muscle. This action reduces the risk of a blood clot forming.
Strengthening the immune system through laughter
Laughter has beneficial effects on the immune system in several ways. Increased ventilation causes a flow of immune cells into the pulmonary alveoli. Infections are thus more easily prevented or cured.
Since laughter is a stress reliever, it slows the body's wear and tear and helps strengthen the immune defences. It stands as a wall of optimism, preventing the formation of the mechanisms responsible for weakened defences.
Laughter contributes to raising the level of antibodies, known for their ability to protect the body against bacteria and viruses.
Longevity and social well-being
If stress promotes and accelerates the ageing of the body, it seems reasonable to think that laughter helps improve quality of life. By allowing us to take pleasure and master our tensions, it contributes to people's longevity.
Self-confidence and sociability
As we have seen, laughter creates a wall of optimism that helps us become more positive. In public, this attitude lets us shed our inhibitions and gain self-confidence. It makes self-acceptance easier and encourages us to reach out to others more readily.
Knowing how to laugh at your own mistakes and at yourself keeps you from taking things too seriously. This ability lifts the mood and makes your company more enjoyable. This bond with others counts for a great deal in our balance, as our article on social health reminds us.
Conclusion: embrace laughter as a natural therapy
The health benefits of laughter are many and scientifically proven. This free and accessible natural therapy improves your physical and mental well-being without side effects.
So stay young longer, laugh more often and keep yourself healthy in the simplest and most enjoyable way there is. Build a few minutes of daily laughter into your routine to reap all these extraordinary benefits.
