I've been concerned about my weight and fitness for my entire adult life and have always been a regular exerciser. While I like to think of myself as an active person, however, the only regular exercise I get is weight lifting a few times a week. It keeps me strong, but it's not an aerobic exercise; I haven't had regular aerobic exercise for a few years.
So while I'm in very good physical shape because of my weight lifting and healthy diet, I achieve that without the benefit of regular aerobic exercise.
What I do get, however, is regular laughter. Humor has ten proven health benefits and, following the Ha Ha Ha Prescription created by my father, Dr. Clifford Kuhn, I make sure to experience daily belly laughs at work and at home. It's quite easy, actually, to cultivate relationships with people whom I find very funny and give them five or ten minutes each day to make me laugh. It's good for all parties involved.
At my work, Clint and Joe both have an ability to get me laughing very hard, producing genuine belly laughs. The net effect of one of my five minute "laugh sessions" (which usually occur very informally in my office) is a mini-vacation for both of us. I feel mentally refreshed and physically recharged; I've had my daily dose of natural humor medicine.
This comes as no surprise to me, since Dr. Kuhn has already verified that humor reduces your stress, relieves your pain, decreases your anxiety, stabilizes your mood, rests your brain, boosts your immunity, enhances your communication, and inspires your creativity. And, as an added bonus, research has verified that five minutes of hearty laughter produces the same effect upon your heart as twenty minutes of aerobic exercise.
So you can actually have a cardiovascular workout from your favorite recliner!
Those are fantastic benefits! How much would you have to pay for a pill that did all those things for you? And humor is both free and, as I've said, easy enough to cultivate regularly if you're willing to make the effort. But, just recently, I got even more dramatic physical proof that my laughter sessions are producing dynamite results.
Two weeks ago I began experiencing tightness in my chest that was recurring every evening. It turned out to be something minor and I'm fine, but at the time my family doctor set me up with a treadmill stress test to rule out heart problems. I nervously reported for my stress test.
When asked by the nurse prepping me for the test, I responded that I was a fairly active person. As she was gluing the electrodes on my chest, however, it occurred to me that (as I stated earlier) I'm not really an active person. I was pretty certain that the stress test might reveal that I am not in as good a cardiovascular shape as I imagine.
The proof would be in the pudding, so to speak - especially if I turned into pudding on the treadmill!
When the doctor discussed my test results, however, he praised my cardiovascular health. Saying I had the stamina of a conditioned athlete, he praised me for how long I had to run and how hard the machine had to push me to get my heart rate up. He told me I was in "great physical shape" and my heart was a "machine."
I couldn't help but immediately think of my daily laughter sessions with Clint and/or Joe at work. Not that I have trouble believing my father's research, but here was real, tangible evidence that Dr. Kuhn's Ha Ha Ha Prescription works! I returned to my laughter sessions with renewed vigor the next day, taking five minutes to ask my humor muses to give me some belly laughter.
Am I advocating that you not exercise and merely laugh?
No.
We all have different physical needs and I, for example, am very anal about my healthy diet. But I'm also anal about my commitment to laughter and not taking myself too seriously (while I continue to take my responsibilities seriously). And there can be no doubt that my commitment to laughter is not only providing me with emotional and spiritual benefits, but physical as well.
Daily laughter is an easy thing to enjoy. All it takes is five minutes of your day, access to some funny people or props, and your willingness. Unless you don't want to enjoy your optimal health, laughter should be a part of your daily routine.
Cliff Kuhn, M.D.
The Laugh Doctor
"it all starts with a SMILE"
The Natural Medicine of Humor
"Discover a unique, FREE, and incredibly powerful prescription created out of desperation by a (formerly) stressed-out Kentucky psychiatrist"
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