‘Laughter is the best medicine’ is something you must have heard several times. Over the years, this fact has been tested, and it’s safe to say there’s truth. Laughter yoga incorporates body movements and breathing exercises to induce laughter. The benefits of laughter yoga have seen many people join laughter clubs to experience it.
Health care facilities haven’t been left behind upon witnessing the success of laughing yoga. Most have set up areas for patients to participate in the low-impact practice through guided coaching from laughter yoga leaders. This extract shows the advantages of incorporating laughter yoga in health institutions.Â
Advantages of laughing yoga incorporation in health institutions
Laughter yoga doesn’t include the traditional yoga poses that limit participants. It’s a significant reason why it’s ideal for sick patients or those undergoing recovery. Research has shown that even with limited body movements, laughter yoga still benefits the user physically and mentally. Your body cannot differentiate between simulated or spontaneous laughter; hence they are all pretty good.
Individuals in health facilities suffer a lot, either from a disease or secondary conditions caused by it, like depression. Reasons why the introduction of laughter yoga is essential include;
Learn the 6 ways Laughter can improve Children's Wellbeing
High tolerance to pain
Most patients in the hospital experience pain and are under painkillers for relief. Sometimes, the pain lingers for an extended period and fades away with time. The individuals are usually in a low state, and the random or voluntary burst of laughter uplifts their mood.
The body releases endorphin hormones, the feel-good hormones, which are the body’s natural painkillers. They increase the patient’s pain tolerance levels, unlike when not subjected to laughing yoga exercises. Also, the mind shifts focus from the painful area to the person or group of people performing the yoga with them.
Lowers blood pressure
Cases of high blood pressure have increased, and aside from the medical ways of handling the situation, laughter yoga also plays a crucial role in managing the problem. Laughing helps avoid the dangers of hypertension by reducing tension and stress levels caused by the cortisol hormone in your body. The playful laughter and yogic breathing exercises increase blood flow within the body leading to low blood pressure.
Increases oxygen intake
Laughter yoga may be great preventative medicine for those at risk of developing heart disease. Laughing yoga involves different episodes of laughing and deep breathing. During each of these times, you inhale and exhale deeply, increasing the oxygen supply into the heart muscles. Good circulation of oxygenated blood lowers the chances of clot formation in the body.
Learn the 6 ways Laughter can improve Children's Wellbeing
Boost the immune system
A sound immune system helps prevent infections, allergies, or chronic illnesses. An individual with a weak immune system has a reduced ability to fight infections. In addition to other immune boosters, health institutions use laughter yoga to increase the number of natural killer cells in the body. A proper belly laugh increases the lymphatic fluid that carries these killer cells, so your immunity rises too.
It’s an effective exercise
Laughter yoga is loved for its low-impact nature. Even so, you can burn a good number of calories through laughing, making it an effective aerobic exercise. It’s perfect for everyone and especially those living a sedentary life. Aside from the physical benefits, laughing yoga creates a feeling of peace, joy, and relaxation, which most people want.
Conclusion
The inclusion of laughter yoga in health institutions is nothing short of remarkable. Many people visit these facilities for various reasons and laughing yoga can be a solution to most of their problems. It’s an excellent aerobic exercise, helps boost immunity, promotes oxygen intake, and lowers blood pressure, among other conditions. It’s also a great stress reliever and promotes peace and happiness. All in all, laughter yoga is perfect for health institutions due to its multiple benefits to participants.
