Laughter Really Is Good Medicine

Sharon Danzger admits to having been a little skeptical when a member of her women's business networking group extolled the health benefits of laughing on purpose. When the woman offered to teach the group to laugh when nothing was funny—no jokes told or comedy movie screened—"I was hesitant," Danzger says.

After all, the group was made up of people who didn't know each other very well. Some men were going to attend the laughter session, too. How could they all just start laughing together for no reason?

Healthy laughter

A good laugh, like a good cry, has long been thought to be the right medicine at certain moments. Now scientists are exploring how regular laughing can do more than just put a smile on your face.

"After laughing, you have a relaxation response (in your body). Everything goes down—heart rate, blood pressure, your muscles relax," says Mary Bennett, PhD, APRN, whose research has investigated how humor and laughter affect physical and psychological well-being.