In lieu of the terrible tragedy of a Wal-Mart worker getting trampled to death by a mob of shoppers, I thought it only fitting that I would steer away from the diet  and workouts and talk about something everybody posses that can dramatically improve your health.

Laughing

I love this short article written by Joseph Wirthland an LDS Christian scholar

The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? Or have you had an encounter with an overhanging cupboard door left open at the wrong place and the wrong time which has been cursed, condemned, and avenged by a sore-headed victim?

There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.

I remember loading up our children in a station wagon and driving to Los Angeles. There were at least nine of us in the car, and we would invariably get lost. Instead of getting angry, we laughed. Every time we made a wrong turn, we laughed harder.

Getting lost was not an unusual occurrence for us. Once while heading south to Cedar City, Utah, we took a wrong turn and didn’t realize it until two hours later when we saw the “Welcome to Nevada” signs. We didn’t get angry. We laughed, and as a result, anger and resentment rarely resulted. Our laughter created cherished memories for us.

I remember when one of our daughters went on a blind date. She was all dressed up and waiting for her date to arrive when the doorbell rang. In walked a man who seemed a little old, but she tried to be polite. She introduced him to me and my wife and the other children; then she put on her coat and went out the door. We watched as she got into the car, but the car didn’t move. Eventually our daughter got out of the car and, red faced, ran back into the house. The man that she thought was her blind date had actually come to pick up another of our daughters who had agreed to be a babysitter for him and his wife.

We all had a good laugh over that. In fact, we couldn’t stop laughing. Later, when our daughter’s real blind date showed up, I couldn’t come out to meet him because I was still in the kitchen laughing. Now I realize that our daughter could have felt humiliated and embarrassed. But she laughed with us, and as a result, we still laugh about it today.

The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.

Studies show the following benefits from laughter

·        Your immune system takes a beating when you allow negative thoughts to go unchecked. These thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that bring unwanted stress that lowers your immunity

·        Positive thoughts on the other hand produce neuropeptides that relieve stress

·        Laughter releases natural pain killers in your body

·        Laughter stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the feel good hormones called endorphins (MayoClinic.com)

Okay I lied just a little bit; I couldn’t get away from the fitness stuff sorry!  Laughter can actually be considered a great way to workout your abs.......this is classic enjoy!