Laughter may seem far from breathing exercises, but a small clinical trial tested its use in a systematic manner in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and found a noticeable improvement in shortness of breath in those who practiced it, with the effect continuing after the end of the program. So how do you turn laughter into a breathing exercise?
When laughter becomes exercise
The trial was conducted in Türkiye on patients receiving treatment at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, and included 63 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who were randomly divided into 3 groups, each of which included 21 participants.
The first group practiced breathing exercises through pursed lips, a technique based on inhaling through the nose and then exhaling slowly through pursed lips, which helps slow breathing and release the air trapped in the lungs.
The second group underwent a program of “laughter therapy,” while the third group did not practice additional breathing exercises and was used only for comparison.
What was meant by “laughter therapy” was not just watching funny content or waiting for spontaneous laughter, but rather a group of organized exercises, which included rhythmic clapping and making sounds, and exercises that simulated the operation of a motorcycle or the roar of a lion, in addition to exercises for spontaneous laughter, before moving on to relaxation and calm breathing.
The two intervention groups practiced these exercises for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, over a period of 8 weeks, with the participants followed up through video calls and text messages.
Improvement in shortness of breath
Researchers measured the severity of shortness of breath, general health status, and the extent to which participants depended on others for daily care before and after the program.
The results showed that patients who practiced breathing exercises through pursed lips or “laughter therapy” suffered less shortness of breath compared to the group that did not practice these exercises.
The improvement in shortness of breath continued a month after the end of the program, and the general health condition improved in both exercise groups, while no change appeared in the extent of participants’ dependence on others for daily care.
How can laughter help?
Researcher Gunjagul Aldan, who led the study, believes that laughter may help activate breathing muscles and encourage deeper exhalation, which may benefit patients who have difficulty exhaling air.
It also indicates the possibility that the psychological effects of laughter, including relieving stress and stimulating the secretion of endorphins, may play a role in improving patients’ feelings.
But the exact mechanisms that may explain the effect of “laughter therapy” in patients with COPD are still not fully understood, which makes more research needed.
It is not a substitute for treatment
Despite the encouraging results, the study does not mean that laughter can replace medications or other COPD treatments.
The experiment included only 63 patients, and its results were presented during the European Respiratory Society conference in Barcelona. This approach requires larger studies to confirm its results and better understand its mechanisms.
Mark Meravitis, Vice President of the European Respiratory Society, described the experiment as small but well-executed, and saw its results as encouraging, especially since the laughter exercises are simple and low-cost.
Thus, the study does not present laughter as a treatment for COPD, but rather opens the door to the possibility of using organized laughter exercises as a complementary and simple way to relieve shortness of breath in addition to usual medical care.