A smile always keeps youth alive

Li Yongyang: As the saying goes, "When the door of laughter opens, happiness comes." "Those who laugh best are the healthiest, and those who are most optimistic live the longest." It is also said, "A smile makes you ten years younger; a smile makes all diseases disappear." Modern scientists say, "Optimism is the only secret to good health." Laughter has a positive impact on the human nervous system. Laughter can regulate brain functions, making people feel happy, energetic, clear-headed and open-minded. It helps people get rid of worries, troubles, anger, fear, fatigue and tension, increase appetite, improve sleep and regulate the functions of human organs. According to German biologists, a slight smile can trigger the movement of 13 facial muscles. The latest medical research shows that when laughing heartily, the muscles of the face, chest, abdomen and other parts all engage in exercise, and the diaphragm, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines and other parts are all well massaged. Laughter can enhance respiratory movements. Laughter causes the intercostal muscles and 腼 muscles to contract, increasing the volume of the chest cavity, expanding the lungs, allowing more oxygen to be inhaled and more waste gas to be exhaled, unblocking the respiratory tract and enhancing metabolic capacity. Laughter can enhance circular movement. A burst of hearty laughter can raise the pulse rate from 60 beats per minute to 120 beats per minute, increase blood pressure from the normal range to 200 millimeters of mercury, enhance cardiovascular function, accelerate blood circulation and lymphatic circulation, and quickly deliver oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body, reducing diseases and promoting health. Laughter can enhance digestive movement, increase the secretion of saliva, gastric juice and intestinal juice, strengthen intestinal peristalsis and aid digestion. Laughter can enhance endocrine function. Laughter has become a special method for treating diseases, keeping fit, maintaining health and prolonging life, spreading like wildfire and sweeping the world. Nowadays, countries such as the UK, France and Italy have already launched fitness activities that make people laugh. Germany has also established a national Laughter League, which holds regular competitions. The events include: prescribed laughter, self-selected laughter, short laughter, long laughter, smile, laugh, sneer, and sneer, etc. The United States has taken it a step further. Many hospitals have stipulated that all inpatients should undergo 15 minutes of "laughter therapy" every day or take "laughter supplements" - watching comedy performances, enjoying comic exhibitions, reading joke works, etc., to fully leverage the health-preserving effects of laughter. Laughter therapy has existed in ancient China. It is said that during the Qing Dynasty, there was a governor of the Eight Prefectures who suffered from mental depression. He sought medical treatment everywhere but to no avail for a long time. Later, someone introduced him to a famous doctor - Zhao Haixian, who lived in Xinghua County, Yangzhou Prefecture. The governor, full of excitement, made a special trip to the county to seek treatment from Doctor Zhao. Unexpectedly, the doctor repeatedly took the pulse but remained silent. The Prefect of the Eight Prefectures was impatient and kept asking again and again. Doctor Zhao said in a pretentious and casual tone, "In my humble opinion, the illness of your excellency is menstrual disorder!" Upon hearing this, the Inspector General of the Eight Prefectures couldn't help but burst into laughter and repeatedly said, "Excellent opinion, excellent opinion, truly excellent opinion!" So he returned without treatment. From then on, whenever I talked about this joke with others, I would burst into laughter, mocking the so-called "famous doctor's" "insightful views" to the extreme, and I felt a nameless sense of satisfaction. Unexpectedly, in his repeated laughs, his mental depression was cured without treatment.