BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Bring on the Laughter

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about what's in the forecast for today... snow, snow and more snow. Which is the very reason that I am offering a FREE SNOW SHOVELING CLASS: Today, I will be holding a FREE snow shoveling class in my driveway. Come and join the class and learn about the proper ways to shovel. Reviewed techniques will include the scoop and throw method, the down and push method (AKA the plow technique), as well as the upside down scraping technique. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to enhance your snow lifting techniques without throwing your back out! I will provide the driveway to ensure your training is conducted in the most life-like situation, I only ask that you bring your own shovel (ergonomical designs suggested). PM me for additional details and times. Seating is limited and handled on a first come first served basis... Subject to date change depending on total accumulation.

Now did that have you laughing? Maybe at least little chuckling? OK, maybe not. There’s a good chance though that you’ve already laughed today, probably a few times. The average person, in fact, laughs 17 times a day while a child laughs 300 times a day, according to U.S. Preventive Medicine.

But get this... laughing is much more than just an emotional response to something funny. It’s physical. Laughing exercises several muscles in the body, including your abdomen, back, shoulders, and 15 facial muscles. And it may actually enhance your workout, according to Men's Fitness (who gives us 5 ways laughter can help us be better runners).

In a recent study at Oxford University, scientists tested the correlation between laughter and decreased pain threshold on a group of volunteer subjects. Researchers demonstrated that pain thresholds of volunteers would increase after watching comedic videos, but not after viewing boring documentaries.

Makes sense, right? Laughter plays a vital part in raising the body’s level and release of endorphins, and the resulting euphoric and natural feeling often known as “runner’s high.” When your endorphins are kicking, your mind and body are less susceptible to pain, like the strenuous pain you go through during exercise, according to the Oxford study.

While you can raise your pain threshold through different means, laughter is a good old- fashioned way to get in the right physical and mental state needed to push through the day— and especially a rigorous workout. “There’s a lot of evidence that frequent, mild bursts of activity are good for our fitness, in addition to major, intensive workouts,” says Dr. Deirdre Barrett, professor of evolutionary psychology at Harvard and author Supernormal Stimuli. “And laughter is one of the most pleasurable ways to accomplish that.” 

One that note, check out these five ways laughter can give your workout the energy it’s missing and motivate you to get out the door for those winter runs. 

It works your core to release tension – It’s called a belly laugh for a reason. With core strength and agility being so vital to physical fitness, its good to know that laughing exercises the diaphragm while also contracting your abdominal muscles and even your shoulders. The result is not only a mini workout crunch, but also a release of tension throughout the body to keep your muscles loose and limber for the long haul.

It improves your mood to keep going – The benefits of having a workout buddy aren’t limited to motivation or safety, like lifting spotters. Sharing a laugh with friends exponentially raises your pain threshold, as the group dynamic posted strong results in the Oxford study. “Laughter is obviously good for your mood and social bonding,” says Barrett. “Camaraderie at the gym or among running buddies helps get people get out and exercising, and also motivates them to keep going as they fatigue.”

It teaches you to breathe properly – Anyone who invests heavy time in running or weight lifting knows the essential importance of a proper breathing technique. While you may feel somewhat out of breath during a serious laughter outburst, the process of emptying your lungs has a positive effect on the respiratory system, according to Barrett. “It makes it easier to push through uncomfortable parts of your routine. An excellent stimulation of your lungs–much like power-breathing yoga–gives you little aerobic bursts when done between workouts.”

It increases your cardio capacity – “Laughter is a great workout for the respiratory system, and somewhat for the cardiovascular system as well,” says Barrett. It’s been shown in studies that laughter does in fact lower your blood pressure and ease the natural flow of blood through your body, improving cardiovascular strength. In fact, laughing 100 times a day has been known to equal 15 minutes of cardio exercise. Of course, low blood pressure also equates to low stress and having a tense-free session at the gym.

It fights off germs to keep you healthy – With winter rolling in, many of us will have to combat cold and flu season while keeping up with our gym routines. Good thing that laughter also assists another bodily system that you’d probably never assume. “Several earlier studies have found that laughter boosts the immune system, raising levels of antibodies and natural killer cells,” says Barrett. Whether you’re baring the outside cold or combating gym germs, having a strong immune system is key for winter workouts.

Now that we've established the many reasons why  you should laugh regularly, let’s go through a few running jokes that are bound to have you in stitches:

#1. What do sprinters eat before a race?
Nothing, they fast.

#2. Did you hear about the gardener who got lost during a race?
Apparently, she took the wrong route.

#3. Why did the DJ get disqualified from the 400m sprint?
He kept changing tracks.

#4. Did you hear about the happy-go-lucky fish who ran a marathon?
He just did it for the halibut.

#5. How did the lawyer with a torn ACL still manage to win the marathon?
Because he had power of a torn knee.

#6. Where did the Helsinki Marathon end?
At the Finnish line.

#7. What do you get when you run in front of a car?
Tired.

#8. What do you get when you run behind a car?
Exhausted.

#9. Why was the marathon runner seized by police and put in jail?
For resisting a rest.

#10. Why are nuns such great runners?
Because they’re used to being chaste.

#11. How do crazy runners get through a forest?
They take the psycho path.

#12. Why did the lactose-intolerant runner keep drinking milk?
He loved having the runs.

#13. Why did no one think Cinderella was a serious athlete?
Because everybody knew her coach was a pumpkin.

#14. Why did the gym members laugh while running on the treadmill?
Don’t worry, you won’t get it. It was a running inside joke.

And there you have it friends. Laughter is good for us for so many reasons. So be sure to giggle and snicker often, especially when things aren't going the way you planned or wanted. This will allow you to keep the joy in all circumstances and appreciate all that you have. And that's no joke!

 Happy Running!