Why My Stomach Hurt After a Comedy Gig (and Why That’s a Very Good Thing).

Recently, I went to a comedy gig.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, an evening out, a chance to switch off, to be entertained and to be consistent with my word of the year "fun". But what I didn’t expect was how it would feel the next day.

I woke up with aching stomach muscles.

My face felt like it had done a workout.

Even my ribs felt tender.

And then it hit me… I hadn’t pulled something at yoga.

I’d been laughing. Really laughing.

The kind of laughter that catches you off guard.

The kind that makes you bend forward, clutch your stomach, and wipe tears from your eyes.

And it got me thinking about something we often forget.

Laughter is powerful medicine.

When we laugh deeply, our diaphragm contracts rhythmically, our abdominal muscles engage, and our lungs empty more fully than they do during normal breathing. It’s almost like an internal workout. That ache in my stomach the next morning is a reminder that those muscles were working hard.

But the physical effects are only part of the story.

Real laughter triggers a cascade of changes in the body. It stimulates the release of endorphins, our natural feel-good chemicals while also lowering levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Our heart rate rises briefly, blood circulation improves, and our nervous system shifts away from “fight or flight” toward a more relaxed, balanced state.

In other words, laughter helps the body remember how to soften.

In a world where many of us carry tension in our shoulders, hold our breath without realising, and move through the day slightly braced against the next demand, laughter interrupts that pattern. It forces the breath to deepen. It shakes the body loose. It reminds us that joy still lives inside us.

I often talk in my yoga classes about the healing power of breath, movement, and stillness. But laughter might be one of the most overlooked wellbeing practices of all. Laughter yoga anyone?

Whilst you can’t force genuine laughter in quite the same way you can practise breathing techniques or meditation. It usually arrives when we least expect it, through connection, shared stories, or someone seeing the absurdity in everyday life.

But perhaps we can make more space for it.

Spend time with people who make you laugh.

Watch something silly without feeling guilty.

Let yourself be playful.

Your nervous system will thank you.

And occasionally, if you’re lucky, your stomach muscles might remind you the next morning too.

Naomi Hurst ✨