A new study – led by Georgia
State University – suggests combining laughter with moderate exercise may
improve the mental health of older adults, as well as boost their motivation
and ability to engage in physical activity.
Lead author Celeste Greene,
from the Gerontology Institute at Georgia State, and colleagues report their
findings in The Gerontologist.
It is well established that
physical activity at any age is beneficial for health. For older adults,
regular physical activity can boost heart health, aid weight control, reduce
diabetes risk, improve bone health, and maintain and grow muscle strength.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 65 years and older should engage in at least
150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) or
75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (such as jogging) every week.
Additionally, seniors should engage in
muscle-strengthening activities – such as sit-ups or simply carrying heavy bags
– at least 2 days a week.
However, a recent study from the CDC found
that more than 1 in 4 adults in the United States aged 50 and older – the
equivalent to around 31 million Americans – do not engage in regular exercise.
‘Putting the fun in fitness’ for older
adults
Greene and team note that one major barrier
to regular exercise for older adults is lack of motivation, largely due to low
enjoyment of physical activity.
For their study, the researchers set out to
investigate whether combining laughter with physical activity would boost
exercise enjoyment for older adults, enabling them to reap the associated
health benefits.
“We want to help older adults have a positive
experience with exercise, so we developed a physical activity programme that
specifically targets exercise enjoyment through laughter,” explains Greene.
“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.”
The programme the researchers created is
known as LaughActive. It incorporates moderate-intensity physical activity with
simulated laughter techniques, whereby participants choose to laugh, without
there being any humorous stimuli.
This simulated laughter initiates eye contact
and playful behaviours with other participants, the team notes, which triggers
genuine laughter.
The researchers explain that the body is
unable to pinpoint the difference between simulated and genuine laughter, so
either form offers health benefits.
Laughter boosted motivation to exercise
The team enrolled 27 older adults to their
study, all of whom were residing in assisted living facilities.
As part of the LaughActive programme, the
adults were required to attend two 45-minute sessions a week for 6 weeks.
These sessions included a workout routine
involving strength, balance, and flexibility exercises, as well as eight to 10
laughing exercises, each lasting 30-60 seconds, which were typically performed
after every two to four physical exercises.
All subjects completed questionnaires that
assessed their perceived benefits of participating in the LaughActive program.
Their mental health and aerobic endurance – that is, the ability to exercise
for long periods without getting tired – were also assessed.
At the end of the 6-week programme, 96.2
percent of participants reported laughter as an enjoyable addition to physical
activity, while 88.9 percent said they felt the laughter aspect of the
programme helped increase exercise accessibility and made them want to
continue.
Laughter boosted the motivation to take part
in other exercise programs or activities for 88.9 percent of participants, the
researchers report.
What is more, the LaughActive programme was
associated with significant improvements in mental health and aerobic endurance
among participants.
Based on their results, Greene and colleagues
believe incorporating laughter with physical activity could be a good way to
improve both the mental and physical health of older adults.
Furthermore, the team says such an approach
may encourage older adults with functional or cognitive impairments to reap the
health benefits of laughter; they point out that simulated laughter does not
require cognitive skills to “get the joke,” because there is no joke to
understand.
While their study findings show promise, the
researchers point out that they are early results in a small number of
participants, so further studies are needed to gain a better understanding of
how laughter may benefit health.
Source:
tribuneonlineng
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