Laugh To Lose Weight

Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, reported that strong laughter for 10-15 minutes daily can increase energy consumption by 10 to 40 calories per day which can induce weight loss. This is great news for dieters but how does one laugh for 10-15 minutes a day? Enter Laughtercising, a 10 minute laughter CD program called Laugh It Off that is designed to help people get in shape, lose weight and ward off stress.

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) June 7, 2005 -- Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, reported that strong laughter for 10-15 minutes daily can increase energy consumption by 10 to 40 calories per day which can induce weight loss.

This is great news for dieters but how does one laugh for 10-15 minutes a day? Enter Laughtercising, a 10 minute laughter CD program called Laugh It Off that is designed to help people get in shape, lose weight and ward off stress.

Laughercising was created by Betty Hoeffner, co-founder of Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc., NFP, a 501C3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower teens with self-esteem building tools, to help them counter challenges such as eating disorders, bullying, violence, substance abuse and suicide.

"Laughing's not as easy as it may sound," explained Hoeffner who sells her CD at http://www.HeyUGLY.org for $10.00 with proceeds benefiting her charity. "First you have to put your ego aside because you can feel kind of silly just breaking out into raucous laughter. Then you have to work your way up to doing it, non-stop, for 10 minutes … just as you would in any exercise program. Once you become proficient, you'll be able to break out into hysterical laughter instantaneously. You'll keep laughing and laughing which will work up such a sweat and gets your abs aching. You'll get so much energy you may find yourself vacuuming your house at 10 o'clock at night. Just try it and use it with your weight loss program!"

Instructions on the CD advise listeners to laugh along with the laugh instructors continuously for at least one minute. Every day, increase the laugh session until you can laugh for ten minutes for a great, laughtercising workout. The producers made the CD 60 minutes long so it can be played in the background as a stress reliever. Playing the CD quietly in the background while at work, studying for exams or struggling with an angst-ridden problem can help lighten your mood and put a smile on your face.

Two studies released on March 8, 2005 at the American College of Cardiology recommend that people try to laugh on a regular basis. Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore said, "Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, and 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system."

According to William F. Fry, M.D., associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Stanford University, "....laughing 100-200 times per day is the cardiovascular equivalent of rowing for 10 minutes. When something strikes you as funny, you laugh. And when you laugh, your body responds. You flex, then relax, 15 facial muscles plus dozens of others all over your body. Your pulse and respiration increase briefly, oxygenating your blood. And your brain experiences a decrease in pain perception, possibly associated with the production of pain-killing, pleasure-giving endorphins."

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