If you enjoy singing, you have more reasons to start chanting. Find out seven ways that singing benefits your health.
Singing can be much more than a simple pleasure. In fact, it's good for your body and your mind. Music is a powerful force that evokes strong emotions, brings back heartening memories, and provides a way to express yourself. Thus, it's not surprising that it can be good both for your mental and physical health. Find out seven ways that singing benefits your health.
Singing boosts your immune system
Singing may boost your immune system and help you tackle illnesses. Research conducted at the University of Frankfurt (Germany) compared the effects of singing with simply listening to music. The researchers assessed professional choir members' blood before and after a hour-long rehearsal singing Mozart's "Requiem." They observed that in most cases, the amount of Immunoglobulin A (proteins in the immune system that function as antibodies) was significantly higher immediately after the rehearsal. The same increase was not observed after the choir members passively listened to music.
Singing enhances lung function
Singing is an excellent workout. It involves deep breathing and the controlled use of muscles in the respiratory system. That's why it has been used to rehabilitate people recovering from lung conditions and, more recently, benefit people suffering from long covid. It is also beneficial for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), asthma, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, and quadriplegia. Singing also strengthens your respiratory muscles and increases the amount of oxygen in your blood.
Singing is a natural anti-depressant
Singing is known to release endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine – the 'happy' chemicals that boost your mood and make you feel good. A 2018 study by the University of East Anglia (UK) assessed 20 people in a singing program (both with mental health conditions and the general public). The participants of the singing workshops reported improvements in their mental health, mood, sense of wellbeing, and feeling of belonging.
Singing helps improve memory
Singing can help improve mental alertness, memory, and concentration. That's because it involves focusing on multiple things at once, engaging many areas of the brain in the process. It also enhances blood circulation and allows more oxygen to reach the brain, impacting mental alertness. In a study by the Alzheimer's Foundation, participants reported that singing helped them accept and cope with dementia.
Singing boosts your confidence
Singing in a group can help boost your confidence and uplift your self-esteem. And the more you do it, the more confident you'll feel. Also, singing in a group can lessen overall anxiety, making you feel more comfortable in social situations, also bringing a sense of accomplishment.
Singing relieves stress
Listening to music is one of the most enjoyable ways to relax – and singing is a very effective method to loosen up. Singing releases stored muscle tension and decreases cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in your bloodstream. Simply singing along to a favorite song or humming long notes can reduce stress levels and create a greater sense of internal balance. A 2017 study by the Royal College of Music (UK) measured the amount of cortisol in participants' saliva before and after they sang. Researchers found that cortisol was lower after singing, indicating that people felt more relaxed after they'd belted out a tune.
Singing can improve your social life
Singing with other people can help build connections and feelings of togetherness. The bonds you form while singing with others can be profound since there's a level of intimacy naturally involved. It's the same kind of fellowship and connection that players on sports teams experience. In a study by the University of London (UK) with 11,258 schoolchildren, researchers found that kids in a singing and musical engagement program developed a strong sense of community and social inclusion. In another study by the University of Bath (UK) involving 375 adults, participants who sang together in a group reported a higher sense of wellbeing and connection than people who sang solo.
