Laugh Yourself Skinny

Marcus and Caleb

Well our annual, Bear Lake family reunion  this past weekend was a huge success.  If I had to describe it in one word, it would be LAUGHTER.  We giggled so much and as I would be falling over with laughter, I realized there are many benefits to laughing your way to good health.  When you are happy, you tend to face things with a better attitude even if it is lunges.  A good belly laugh works your abdominal muscles and snickering, giggling, and laughing all burn calories.  There are even studies to prove it.

New research published in the International Journal of Obesity has discovered that laughter really is the best medicine for a weight problem.

The small study included 45 pairs of adult friends, who were shown either funny or serious film clips in a room that was set up with equipment to measure the amount of calories burnt and to monitor the rate, duration and type of laughter. The participants also wore heart monitors to measure their heart rate.

The researchers discovered that laughing increased both heart rate and calorie expenditure by up to 20 per cent – and the longer participants laughed for the greater the effects.

Using the results, the scientists then went on to calculate that just 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on a person’s weight and the intensity of the laughter. That’s enough to shift between 1 and 4lb a year.

Emma and Sophia

I love my family and thoroughly enjoyed our time together.

Kristen 

Kurt and Katie

Linnea

Sam, Landi, Vanessa, Sopia, Ryan and Jordan

Landi and Ryan