Can laughter really be prescribed like exercise for better health?

Melanin Bee arches her spine like a stretching cat and releases a loud, exaggerated laugh. It begins as an awkward, mechanical sound — “oh, hoo hoo hoo, eeh, ha ha ha” — before softening into something real. Moments later, she is laughing uncontrollably, feet kicking in the air.

Laughter therapy explained: fake it, feel better, repeat

This is Laughasté, a laughter-based yoga routine Bee created, inspired by the laughter clubs that began emerging in India in the 1990s. The premise is simple: start by pretending to laugh, and let the body take over. “You have to be OK with being awkward,” said Bee, a Los Angeles-based comedian and speaker. “Once you allow that, the laughter becomes involuntary.”

The idea that laughter relieves stress is hardly new. But doctors now say its benefits go far beyond mood. A growing body of research suggests that regular laughter can support heart health, strengthen immunity and reduce pain. “We tell people to exercise three to five days a week,” said Dr Michael Miller, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “I say: belly laugh at least two to five days a week.”

The scientific study of laughter, known as gelotology, gained traction in the 1960s. One of its pioneers, Stanford psychologist William F Fry, famously tested its effects on himself, drawing blood samples while watching Laurel and Hardy films. He found that laughter increased immune-related cells in the bloodstream.

In the mid-1990s, Dr Madan Kataria, a physician in Mumbai, encountered this research while editing a health magazine. Seeking relief from his own stress, he began hosting daily laughter sessions in a local park. Attendance quickly grew, but jokes soon ran out. Kataria responded by developing structured exercises combining diaphragmatic breathing, gentle movement and deliberately silly sounds. The result was what later became known as laughter yoga.

The health effects, researchers say, are measurable. Miller’s studies found that laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which in turn stimulate the production of nitric oxide. This chemical helps blood vessels relax, lowering blood pressure, inflammation and cholesterol levels. “After a really good laugh, people feel light and relaxed,” he said. “It’s similar to the effect of pain medication.”

Perhaps surprisingly, forced laughter — known academically as simulated mirth — may be just as beneficial as spontaneous laughter. Jenny Rosendahl, a medical psychology researcher at Jena University in Germany, analysed dozens of studies and found that laughter-based therapies reduced cortisol levels, lowered blood glucose and eased chronic pain. Mobility and overall mood also improved, particularly among older adults.

Because humour is subjective and difficult to measure, many studies now focus on laughter yoga sessions, which generate sustained laughter over 30 to 45 minutes. These programmes are especially useful for people who may not feel naturally inclined to laugh, such as those experiencing depression or undergoing cancer treatment. “The well-being comes through the back door,” Rosendahl said.

Kataria believes laughter can be practised anywhere. His exercises range from sustained eye contact while repeating “ha” to laughing deliberately at everyday frustrations. The goal, he said, is not forcing happiness but loosening inhibition. “When the mind steps aside,” he explained, “the laughter becomes childlike — unconditional.”

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