Laughing Club is Contagious and Spreading

By Cassey Graeff-

Feeling Down? Take a gander at laughing.

Laughter is thought to be a mental medicine because it can brighten somebody’s mood along with putting some pep in their step if they are feeling down.

Some teachers here think the benefits of laughing should be put to use and they have used it in their classes – sort of like a laughing club.

Kim McMullen, an art teacher at Penn Manor, said everybody needed to gather around the front table before anybody could leave. Students stood around with straight faces wondering what she was about to say when suddenly she began laughing obnoxiously and a few kids couldn’t help but laugh back.

“Mrs. Hay started it in her classes and they do it all the time, almost everyday,” said McMullen.

According to CBS news, laughing for one minute is equivalent to ten minutes on a rowing machine when comparing heart rates.

“It gives you an ab workout, lowers your blood pressure, and people think you’re crazy,” said Teri Hay an art teacher at Penn Manor.

When we laugh, we change psychologically. Muscles stretch, our breath quickens, and oxygen is transferred to our tissues similar to the effect of working out, according to the same source.

Even though some kids join in with laughter, Hay says that “Most kids try not to laugh.”

While working out has benefits, laughing portrays some of the same ones. This may be the reasoning why laughing causes a change in mood for the better. You may feel healthier after a good laugh because your body just had a “mini workout.”

“A guy in India started it, and they laugh together for an hour every morning about corny things like being broke,” said Hay.

Laughing is said to be far more contagious then a cough, sniffle, or sneeze, and even boost your immune system because of relieving stress.

According to help guide, laughter relaxes your whole body and for 45 minutes after a good laugh your muscles remain relaxed. Also, laughter triggers the release of endorphins which gives you a sense of well-being and may temporarily relieve pain.

“It makes you feel better at the end of the day,” said Hay.