Laughter-based exercise program has health benefits, study finds

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-10/gsu-lep100216.php

Public Release: 2-Oct-2016
Laughter-based exercise program has health benefits, study finds
Georgia State University

Incorporating laughter into a physical activity program that is focused on strength, balance and flexibility could improve older adults' mental health, aerobic endurance and confidence in their ability to exercise, according to a study led by Georgia State University.

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In simulated laughter exercises, participants initially choose to laugh and go through the motions of laughing. The exercises facilitate eye contact and playful behaviors with other participants, which generally transition the laughter from simulated to genuine.

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The study found significant improvements among participants in mental health, aerobic endurance and outcome expectations for exercise (for example, perceived benefit of exercise participation), based on assessments completed by the participants. When surveyed about their satisfaction with the program, 96.2 percent found laughter to be an enjoyable addition to a traditional exercise program, 88.9 percent said laughter helped make exercise more accessible and 88.9 percent reported the program enhanced their motivation to participate in other exercise classes or activities. The findings are published in the journal The Gerontologist.

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The pleasant associations with laughter may add enjoyment to an exercise program and keep older adults motivated to work out.

"The combination of laughter and exercise may influence older adults to begin exercising and to stick with the program," said Celeste Greene, lead author of the study and a master's degree graduate from Georgia State's Gerontology Institute. "We want to help older adults have a positive experience with exercise, so we developed a physical activity program that specifically targets exercise enjoyment through laughter. Laughter is an enjoyable activity and it carries with it so many health benefits, so we incorporated intentional laughter into this program to put the fun in fitness for older adults."

Simulated laughter may be an ideal way for older adults with functional or cognitive impairment to achieve the health benefits of laughter, which include improved physiological and psychological functioning. Participants simply choose to laugh and initiate laughter as bodily exercise. There is no need to rely on cognitive skills to "get the joke" because there is no joke. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms of laughter, the effect of different levels of exposure to laughter and its associated health benefits.

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