About 20 volunteers took part in the class run by Trevor Beech, a Fareham-based psychotherapist and yoga teacher, who runs the Hampshire Laughter Club and happiness workshops.

Mr Beech says those who attend laughter yoga sessions say they feel more optimistic, confident, assertive, adaptable, accepting and aware of themselves and others.

He said: 'Laughter, even when it's faked, produces the same feel-good reactions in the mind and body as genuine laughter.

'When people practise laughing – even if they have to fake it to begin with – they become better at it and more likely to laugh more often which, in turn, makes them happier and healthier.'

During the session people took part in a variety of stretches and exercises while constantly laughing.

They also danced to songs including the Hokey Cokey, held hands and laughed in each other's faces.

And one popular activity included everyone lying on their backs with their head on other people's stomach to feel the vibrations of their laughter. After the session the participants were asked how they felt.

Kostas Ridas, 28, a psychology student, said: 'I came along because I like to express myself. I like laughing and it helps with a lot of emotional problems.

'It was something different to what I was expecting and it was a marvellous experience.'

Lorraine Pullen, 28, a graphic designer at the university, added: 'I came along because it sounded like something I had never done before and I love to laugh.

'I loved it, it was really fun. My favourite bit was lying on other people's tummies.'

Carole Gill, 66, a part-time lecturer in IT, said: 'I really let go when we had our head on people's stomach.

'I didn't worry about my stomach being wobbly, I just let go.'

INVENTED IN INDIA

Laughter yoga was invented in 1995 by an Indian medical doctor, Madan Kataria.

He practised yoga but it wasn't until he began research into laughter helping make sick people better that he had the idea of combining the two.

He later published a paper titled 'Laughter is the best medicine' and more than 6,000 laughter yoga classes now run worldwide.

The class was run by the university's sports department and the Students' Union as part of a week of healthy living activities.

Other activities included mind and body stress-busting sessions, hip hop dance classes and personal training and gym introduction sessions.

Free fruit was also on offer to all students all week.