Have you ever laughed and then said, “Thanks, I needed that”? You were so right — because the very act of laughing promotes good health in numerous ways. And in fact, you can maximize these health benefits for yourself by doing fun and simple “laughter exercises.”

Want evidence of how laughter helps? Consider a study at Loma Linda University, which involved diabetic patients who had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. One group of participants received standard pharmaceutical treatment for these conditions…a second group received the same medications but also were instructed to “view self-selected humor” (for instance, watch sitcoms or videos that they considered funny) for 30 minutes daily. After one year: In the laughter group, HDL (good) cholesterol increased by 26% and blood levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) decreased by 66%, on average…in the other group, HDL increased by just 3% and C-reactive protein declined by just 26%, on average.

Additional research from Loma Linda University suggests that laughter also can boost immunity…relax tense muscles…reduce levels of stress hormones…and raise levels of mood-elevating hormones called endorphins (the same hormones released during orgasm!).

It is easy to bring more laughter to your life. “The average adult laughs 17 times daily. Keep track for a few days — and if you’re not laughing at least that often, make a conscious effort to increase your opportunities to laugh,” suggested Katherine Puckett, PhD, national director of mind-body medicine at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America facility in Zion, Illinois, who has extensive experience applying therapeutic laughter. “Since we laugh most frequently during social interactions with others, spend time with people who enjoy laughing and being playful. Also try watching children and pets playing…enjoying funny videos…deliberately smiling more often (it’s contagious!)…and observing the world through a ’comic lens’ as you look for humor around you even in difficult situations.”

Another option is to consciously do laughter exercises with friends, family or coworkers. If you feel self-conscious at first, remind yourselves that you’re laughing with each other, not at each other, and that your intention is to have good-natured fun. “At first, the laughter is simulated — but in short order, it becomes real,” Dr. Puckett said. As often as you like, try…

Laughter chant. As you clap in rhythm, repeatedly say, “Ho-ho ha-ha-ha, ho-ho ha-ha-ha.”

Roller coaster. Lift your arms, sway, jiggle and scream as if you were on a coaster. (This is easiest while seated.)

Snowball fight. Lean over and scoop up some imaginary snow, pack it into a snowball and throw it at another person. Everyone naturally laughs while throwing or being “hit.” Try putting some pretend snow down someone’s back, which may make you both laugh even harder.

Sing with laughter. Even if no one is having a birthday, sing Happy Birthday to You to each other, substituting “hee hee” or “ha ha” or “ho ho” for each word. You can swap this laughter vocabulary for the words in many songs — and before you even finish singing, you’ll be feeling happier and more energized.