Everything we do throughout the day, including sleep and rest, burns calories. Laughing burns calories by causing your heart rate to rise by 10 to 20 percent. As your heart rate rises, your metabolism increases as well, which means you'll continue to burn calories once you stop laughing.
Caloric Burn
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Research conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center revealed that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes burns between 10 and 40 calories.
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Benefits
In addition to burning calories, laughter may also improve your quality of health in a number of ways. A study by Loma Linda University found that laughing raises the levels of immunoglobulins, which ward of disease, by 14 percent. According to research at Johns Hopkins Medical School, humor in the classroom improved test scores, while a study at UCLA discovered that laughing helps with pain tolerance.
Considerations
Laughter can't be used as a weight loss or exercise regimen. You would have to laugh for 12 hours to burn a single pound. Weight management requires a balanced diet and daily exercise routine. Laughing may contribute to your calorie burn, but not significantly enough to cause weight loss.