They say that laughter is the best medicine. But did you know that it is also the best exercise? Nope, neither did I, which is why I spent hundreds on gym membership, lypoplasty and Sweaty Betty leggings.
But according to new research, scientists have proven that watching comedy can actually help you lose weight and tone up.
They went on to identify five different types of laughter and the equivalent calories burned, ranging from The Snigger (10 calories per hour) to The Howler (up to 120 calories). So I decided to enrol in this new fitness fad and laugh my way to a beach ready body.
I started with a few Victoria Woods and a couple of Smack the Ponies, just to get those muscles warmed up. Then for a good chuckle I moved on to some Sara Pascoe and Shappi Khorsandi. Feeling stronger already, mid-week I shifted onto five reps of Bridget Christie, interspersed with a few Amy Schumers just to mix things up and for the Belly Buster I was on a strict diet of Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum and, of course, Ab Fab.
After just a week of this intense regime, I could see the changes. I’m not quite sure whether I actually lost any weight, but my level of giving a damn plummeted to a spectacular low.
Win.
And yet, I felt that somehow those scientists had missed a trick… What the study failed to explore was the much more effective weight loss programme associated with actually performing comedy. The sheer terror and prolonged bouts of adrenalized stress caused by writing, rehearsing and performing in front of a live audience have kept me svelte and beach body ready for many a summer. And the utter relief and desperate gratitude when it’s all over and you come out of it alive matches any endorphin related high.
So to those of you looking to make a lasting change this year, I recommend the fat-busting Funny Women Stand Up programme. Laugh, cry and sweat yourself to a new you.
