Georgia State University
Incorporating laughter into a physical activity program that is
focused on strength, balance and flexibility could improve older adults' mental
health, aerobic endurance and confidence in their ability to exercise,
according to a study led by Georgia State University.
In this study, older adults residing in four assisted-living
facilities participated in a moderate-intensity group exercise program called
LaughActive that incorporates playful simulated laughter into a strength,
balance and flexibility workout.
In simulated laughter exercises, participants initially choose to laugh and go through the motions of laughing. The exercises facilitate eye contact and playful behaviors with other participants, which generally transition the laughter from simulated to genuine.
Simulated laughter techniques are based on knowledge that the
body cannot distinguish between genuine laughter that might result from humor
and laughter that is self-initiated as bodily exercise. Both forms of laughter
elicit health benefits, researchers said.
For six weeks, study participants attended two 45-minute
physical activity sessions per week that included eight to 10 laughter
exercises lasting 30 to 60 seconds each.
A laughter exercise was typically
incorporated into the workout routine after every two to four strength, balance
and flexibility exercises.
Because laughter is scientifically demonstrated to
strengthen and relax muscles, the laughter exercises often involved physicality
in the muscles being worked in strength, balance and flexibility exercises to
prepare the body for exercise and help it recover.
The study found significant improvements among participants in
mental health, aerobic endurance and outcome expectations for exercise (for
example, perceived benefit of exercise participation), based on assessments
completed by the participants.
When surveyed about their satisfaction with the
program, 96.2 percent found laughter to be an enjoyable addition to a
traditional exercise program, 88.9 percent said laughter helped make exercise
more accessible and 88.9 percent reported the program enhanced their motivation
to participate in other exercise classes or activities. The findings are
published in the journal The Gerontologist.
Despite the health benefits of physical activity and the risks
of physical inactivity, many adults don't engage in sufficient physical activity
to achieve health benefits.
Maintaining the motivation to adhere to regular
physical activity is a challenge for many older adults.
Adults should
participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity at least five days
per week to achieve desirable health outcomes, according to the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services' 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines.
These health benefits include lower mortality and a reduced risk
of a number of chronic conditions, including coronary heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, colon
cancer, breast cancer, anxiety and depression.
Regular physical activity also
reduces the impact of age-related declines in aerobic endurance, the incidence
of falls and hip fracture and the degenerative loss of muscle mass, quality and
strength. All of these benefits are crucial in older adults maintaining their
ability to perform activities of daily living.
The pleasant associations with laughter may add enjoyment to an
exercise program and keep older adults motivated to work out.
"The combination of laughter and exercise may influence
older adults to begin exercising and to stick with the program," said
Celeste Greene, lead author of the study and a master's degree graduate from
Georgia State's Gerontology Institute.
"We want to help older adults have
a positive experience with exercise, so we developed a physical activity
program that specifically targets exercise enjoyment through laughter. Laughter
is an enjoyable activity and it carries with it so many health benefits, so we
incorporated intentional laughter into this program to put the fun in fitness
for older adults."
Simulated laughter may be an ideal way for older adults with
functional or cognitive impairment to achieve the health benefits of laughter,
which include improved physiological and psychological functioning.
Participants simply choose to laugh and initiate laughter as bodily exercise.
There is no need to rely on cognitive skills to "get the joke"
because there is no joke. Further research is needed to better understand the
underlying mechanisms of laughter, the effect of different levels of exposure
to laughter and its associated health benefits.
This research is one of few studies to evaluate the potential of
simulated laughter in improving health outcomes among older adults, and it's
the first evaluation of a dedicated physical activity program that incorporated
simulated laughter, said Dr. Jennifer Craft Morgan, second author of the study
and Greene's thesis adviser.
