Have you heard the one about the woman who laughed herself healthy? It’s no joke. Laughter is more than just good fun. It may also be good for your health.

Giggle Your Way to Health
Research shows laughter may:

• Induce relaxation
• Boost the immune system
• Cheer up a blue mood
• Decrease fear and anxiety
• Help people cope with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses

Seeing the humor in life may also help keep the doctor away. One study showed that people who laughed a lot at a funny video had higher levels of disease-fighting immune cells than those who didn’t laugh.

If you laugh hard enough, it is also a form of exercise. A good sidesplitting laugh will increase your heart rate.

Schedule Some Laughs
To inject more healthy laughter into your life, try these tips:

• Hang out with people who look at the funny side of life.
• Cut out funny cartoons and share them with someone else.
• Listen to comical audiotapes and watch funny movies or shows.
• Read and share jokes and stories on the Internet.
• Celebrate holidays with parties.

Stress: A Laughing Matter
For more tips on managing life’s stresses, click here.