Some more good news on the "we-really-ought-to-laugh-more-because-it's-good-for-us" front. A study out of Oxford University found that a good belly laugh, one with a forceful exhalation of breath from the lungs and a hearty workout for your diaphragm muscles, produces the same pain-reducing opiates akin to what long distance runners experience as runner's high. 

 

Research head Robin Dunbar also found that people laughed more when they were in a group situation (no surprise here, many studies have confirmed this) which in turn led to an even greater boost in their pain threshold. But here's the interesting side note: Dunbar found a similar response in a 2009 study which showed that when elite Oxford rowers exercised together their pain thresholds increased much more than when they exercised alone.

 

The formula for success would appear to be: "(Ha + Ha + E) to the power of n = RP",  where Ha = laughter; E= exertion; n = the number of people you are laughing and exerting with; RP = reduced pain.  

 

In other words, mixing exercise with plenty of laughter in a team atmosphere might just be what the workplace health and wellness doctor ordered.