Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

The Science is in! What you always knew instinctively to be true, laughter and play have been proven to be beneficial to your health. Laughter and play activate your immune system and increases your energy for getting well and maintaining health! When we talk about stress, usually we focus on our tight muscles, aching heads and sleeplessness. Yet, the speaker advocates that what we really should be concerned about, is our breathing. The act of laughter is the science of breathing. In times of stress, we take shallower breaths; therefore, we take in less oxygen. The longer we feel anxious, the longer our body is going to be operating without its optimal supply of air. Over time, this weakens the immune system, opening the door to all sorts of problems. Ailments such as heart disease, high blood pressure, peptic ulcers and insomnia all have some connection to stress. The speaker asks “when was the last time you really laughed out loud? How about at least a good chuckle? Do you play every day?” If you can’t