By Jennifer Lussier-Fontaine, Director of Activities
The Cabana at Jensen Dunes
Assisted Living and Memory Support
You’ve heard the old adage “Laughter is the best medicine.” Turns out it’s true. And there’s science to back it up.
According to an article in Huffington Post, a good laugh is like a mild workout for your vital organs. It exercises the muscles and gets the blood flowing. Laughing also lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, improves sleep patterns and bolsters your immune system.
But that’s not all. According to a study conducted by the John Hopkins University Medical School, laughter can also improve memory and mental performance.
At The Cabana at Jensen Dunes, we actually practice laughing. Here’s how:
- We sit nice and straight in our chair with our feet slightly apart.
- We rest our hands on our knees.
- We then take both hands and tap our belly and say … HO HO HO.
- Next, we put our hands on our chest and say … HA HA HA.
- Then we put our hands next to our chins and say … HE HE HE.
After we do this about 10 times, I make certain noises and ask the residents to repeat them. This gets us laughing because the noises sound silly. The more we do it, the more we laugh.
All in all, it makes for a good, relaxing experience … and we all leave the room with big smiles on our faces!