Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by john. john Wonders, “is laughter help you live longer” Thanks for WONDERing with us, john!

Let’s start today’s Wonder of the Day with a joke. Ready? Okay. 

Knock! Knock!  “Who’s there?” Tank! “Tank who?” You’re welcome! Ha ha ha! 

And you are welcome for starting your day off with a laugh. What do you mean you’re not laughing? That wasn’t funny? Well, how about this one?

What goes tick, tock, woof, tick, tock, woof? Give up? A watchdog! We’re cracking ourselves up today! We hope you’re laughing, too, because laughter is an important part of life and. And, as it turns out, it’s quite beneficial for the body and mind.

Have you ever heard someone say that laughter is the best medicine? If you’ve ever had a broken arm, you know that laughter is no substitute for a good doctor and a cast. However, there may be some truth to the saying. Some scientists say laughter provides several health benefits.

Many studies have shown that laughter has positive psychological effects. For example, laughter appears to ease the symptoms of depression. Laughter also helps to relieve anxiety and improve mood.

The mental effects of laughter seem to make common sense. But the physical benefits of laughter are more curious. Several studies have shown that laughter appears to help people experience less physical pain.

Why would this be so? It may have something to do with what happens inside our bodies when we laugh. A good hearty bout of laughing will have us moving our muscles. It also causes a rise in pulse and blood pressure, which increases blood flow. We also begin to breathe faster. This increases the level of oxygen in our blood.

Some experts believe that laughing provides the body with a mild workout, similar to light exercise. Studies have shown that 10-15 minutes of laughter can burn 50 or more calories.

Not all scientists are convinced that these positive effects are solely from laughing. That’s because it can be hard to separate cause from effect when it comes to laughing and its potential benefits. For example, are people healthier because they laugh? Or do they laugh because they’re healthier and have more to be happy about?

Moreover, some experts point out that laughter is largely a social phenomenon. They believe that any health benefits may be just as likely to come from being close to friends and family as from the laughter we experience.

Still, some researchers believe laughter can help you live a longer life. Researchers in Japan and Norway have conducted studies that suggest laughter may lead to living a longer life. Of course, they don’t fully understand why this might be the case, but they do have a few ideas.

For example, some studies have suggested that laughter can boost the body’s immune system. This helps fight off deadly diseases. Other studies have shown that laughter can help reduce inflammatory compounds. These lead to inflammation in older adults, which helps diseases such as arthritis and cancer progress. In this way, laughter may indeed help people live longer.

Scientists may never be able to pin down laughter’s direct benefits. Still, they can all agree that laughing together with friends and family can make us happier and improve our quality of life. So, spend some time today laughing with the people you care about. It could improve both your mood and your health!

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.2, CCRA.W.4

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