When we laugh, at first the heart rate increases as does our rate of breathing. After our laughter ceases, there is a period of relaxation, easing muscle tension and useful in breaking the muscle spasm in some neuralgias and rheumatism. It has been estimated that 100 good laughs are equivalent to 10 minutes of rowing. Cumulative laughter throughout the day, says Dr. Fry, may be significantly greater than that of an average marathon. Laughter, comments Dr. Dixon, also aids lung ventilation, helping people with chest problems to clear congestion.
Laughter also has a measurable impact on reducing high blood pressure.
Because we seem to intuitively know that the ability to see the absurd, the ridiculous and the entertaining in the serious and trivial helps keep us mentally stable and healthy. Somehow the burdens of overwork, excess responsibility, and the grief of life can fall off our shoulders, as laughter lightens our hearts. Perhaps that is why the old proverb reminds us that there is a time to weep and a time to laugh.