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Apr 11, 2008 6:00 pm US/Eastern
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Laugh Your Way To Better Health
SOUTH BEACH (CBS4) ―
It's no joke that laughing can improve your health. That may be why laughter clubs are sprouting up around the country. At Synergy Yoga in South Beach, Julie Blankenship teaches--get this--Laughter Yoga.
"What we do in Laughter Yoga is we combine Yogic breathing, which is the prana-yama, with laughter exercises," explained Blankenship.
She says most adults simply don't laugh enough.
"Children laugh about 400 times a day, and adults laugh about fifteen times a day," explains Blankenship. "So something happens to that child-like joyfulness."
And there is some serious science behind all this silliness. Studies have shown a lot of laughter can reduce blood pressure, it's good for the heart, and it can even boost hormones levels.
In a new study researchers testing blood hormone levels found just prior to a laugh the feel-good hormones shoot up, but the stress hormones like cortisol drop down.
"Cortisol is really nasty hormone it's one of the stress hormones which tends to elevate blood pressure, tends to harden our arteries," Dr. Alex Eingorn says. He's a chiropractor, but also a laughter ambassador. And the benefits continue long after a good chuckle.
"Overall it's a very healthy experience," Dr. Eingorn says laughing, "So try laughing as much as possible."
But science isn't the reason why these gigglers keep smiling and keep coming to the classes.
Colin Christopher explains why he keeps coming back to his laughter club in New York.
"Because I walk out of here feeling like a million dollars," said Christopher.
"Just try it, be silly, be crazy, because it's making a difference in your life," George Mill says after a laughter Yoga Class at Synergy Yoga in Miami.
And if laughter is the best medicine, these people are getting a good dose.
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