Is Exercise Funny? 

[Click to hear the 6-minute audio]

Dr. Philip Maffetone

 Life’s up’s and down’s are called squats. Yes, there’s humor in everything as comedians say. Scientists and clinicians also know how humor helps our brain and body work better. So mentally, physically, humorously, a well-rounded human performs everything better. Consider that some benefits of humor are comparable—or possibly stronger—than those of exercise. But it’s not a competition—we can have both. (Likewise, humor can have effects similar to various therapies.)

Humor is humanizing, with powerful stress reducing benefits for muscles, immunity, heart and lungs, even our funny bone—and lowering high stress hormones can make exercise more playful. 

There’s enough stress in our world, and exercise need not be another. Working out should be a wonderfully enjoyable time of the day. Otherwise, it’s just possible you’re doing something really wrong. So if working out is not working well, or you’re already injured, something already  went wrong—pushing too much can sacrifice health. This can come from too high an exercise heartrate, not enough recovery or off days, too many miles or excessive weights, or another common error we’ve all made, exaggerating our exercise gait (and that looks funny). 

There are also too many people out there with sad fitness faces—c’mon folks, enjoy life! Where’s that runner’s high? And another thing: for those who just keep talking while others are trying to enjoy their workout, it’s too much tension. Lighten up, man! 

Humor can even reduce the loneliness of the long-distance runner. 

The connections between humor and health have been described for thousands of years. Clinically, I measured its effect on improving muscle balance, posture and gait, while scientific studies show humor’s important place in a balanced lifestyle.

Interestingly, understanding humor, and the physical laughing response to it, occurs in two  different brain areas. First we make sense of the funny part. Then comes the laugh, physiologically described as inner jogging because of its great effects on the cardiovascular system, breathing, the gut, mood too, and many other areas. 

While humor feeds the brain, those with certain mental health conditions don’t recognize or understand humor, and in others, the ability to physically laugh is impaired.

Your brain on humor is very similar to that of music. And the combination benefits everyone, even couch potatoes sitting at home watching a musical comedy. No, I don’t recommend that, nor listening to music during exercise—listen to your body instead.

Humor can even help prevent overtraining, a common stress in many who work out. You know the feeling—like that nightmare where we’re trying to run in quicksand. But overtraining is no laughing matter: it can sneak up and quickly trash us. No pain, no gain, no brain.

Don’t just do it, do it right. 

Humor helps overtraining by better sensing the body, including the related compulsiveness and addiction. We adapt better, too; even hear better, like when our brain says slow down! No joke—less is best.

More important than exercise time, intensity, and frequency is another lifestyle factor: Food. Without healthy, natural food to support brain, body, and gut, while avoiding junk food, even the best exercise schedule can be a waste (pun intended). Choosing food wisely is the toughest discipline of exercise. So avoid the trendy marketing hype and seek out great nutrition to burn more body fat for extra energy, reduce excess weight, eliminate hunger, and perform your best. It also helps aging, even in couch potatoes.

With scientists now saying that sugar is the new tobacco, it puts into perspective the need to avoid sugar, and all other refined carbohydrates, including most flour which quickly converts to sugar. Sadly, junk food is now the world’s top cuisine, causing the overfat pandemic, where more than 80% of all people have excess body fat that impairs health and performance.

If we eat junk food, exercise or humor won’t protect us as well. 

A simple accurate home test for body fat is measuring the waist at the level of the bellybutton: It should be less than half ones height.

As with all else in life, find the humor in exercise, too. You’ll perform better, have more fun, get a better high, and smile more as you’re walking, riding, and running along. I’ll smile back.

**

In case you missed it: Age and…Happy Birthday?