For example: Members may be asked to pretend they're skating on slick ice, dunking a basketball, or catching a fly ball. Another exercise has everyone line up with their hands in the air.
What's the point of all this laughing? It's about getting healthy.
So far, there are more than 6,000 of these so-called "giggle gatherings" meeting around the world.
Piling your plate with fruits and vegetables is a no-brainer when it comes to weight loss -- they're low in calories, high in nutrients, and filling -- but the latest studies show that certain ones can provide surprising anti-aging benefits.
There's buzz about blueberries, for instance, for their memory-boosting potential. But berries of all hues are antioxidant-rich, reports Navindra P. Seeram, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy in Kingston.
To keep your vision sharp, set your sights on spinach and other dark leafy greens.
This key dietary component becomes even more critical starting in the 40s, when muscle mass begins to decline by up to 1 percent a year.
To hang on to your metabolism-boosting muscle -- and keep you feeling full after meals (another protein plus) -- experts recommend eating plenty of skinless chicken and turkey breast, lean beef and pork, eggs, beans, and seafood. And don't forget protein-rich dairy: Minerals (primarily calcium, phosphorus, and potassium) in fat-free milk and yogurt as well as low-fat cheeses help to keep blood pressure healthy, pudge in check, and bones strong.
Another reason to spoon up some yogurt: Eating at least 1/4 cup every day led to a 60 percent lower risk of gum disease and a 50 percent lower risk of tooth loss in a Japanese study published in the Journal of Periodontology.
