According to a World Federation of Music Therapy member, singing is more than just a pleasant habit many people enjoy while in the shower. It can actually help you lose weight and boost your immunity. But that’s not all. It also has many health benefits.
5 major health benefits of singing
1. Lose weight, relieve pain, and boost immunity
As soon as someone starts to sing, or even hum, the body releases two types of hormones. According to Baishali Mukherjee of the World Federation of Music Therapy, singing is an aerobic exercise that releases endorphins and oxytocin.
Endorphins are a natural painkiller. In turn, they stimulate well-being and relieve tension. In addition, endorphins can make people feel happy and confident, which plays a vital role in reducing stress and anxiety. Whether people are under pressure or have any physical discomfort, illness, or psychological pain, singing can positively affect the body and mind and even lift the spirit.
So next time you feel discomfort or the rise of tension due to stress, just take a few minutes to sing a bit. Any song will do.
2. Stress hormone reduction
I remember loving going to school on Mondays as a 4th grader. Strange, I know. But the one thing that made me look forward to the beginning of the week was because we would sing. We would gather around in the school cafeteria , and a teacher would accompany us on the piano. It was really a magical memory. Just thinking of it relaxes me and puts a smile on my face.
Ok, but why does it reduce stress?
As we mentioned before, when you sing, your body releases endorphins. These are chemicals that literally make you feel happy. Stress, on the other hand, is accompanied by an increase in a hormone called cortisol. The chemicals produced by singing reset the effects of stress and reduce the production of cortisol; thus, this activity reduces stress.
Nothing better than convincing yourself. How about singing along to your favorite song on the radio the next time it plays?
3. Full body ‘workout’ and weight loss
Now, this one seems far-fetched. How does singing even closely relate to anything sporty? Most people underestimate the athletic features of singing. That’s right! It is a physical activity. According to TakeLessons voice teacher Rebecca: “And although it doesn’t demand nearly the same endurance training as running a marathon, singing is a very physical activity. While just two tiny muscles are responsible for forming the sound of your singing voice (your vocal cords), the act of singing is a whole-body experience.”
According to the British Medical Journal Open Respiratory Research, in a study aimed at adults who are not singers, when the participant’s physiological reactions to singing were tested, it was found that the exercise effect is equivalent to moderate-intensity exercise, such as moderately brisk walking.
4. Help relieve chronic breathing problems
It’s well-established that singing for lung health (SLH) is a popular arts-in-health activity geared toward people who have long-term respiratory conditions. Participants report physical, mental, and social benefits even though research on its impact is limited.
In one study, 15 people received training from the British Lung Foundation (BLF). These 15 so-called singing group leaders would then create a singing for lung health (SLH) group of their own.
The published study on the benefits of singing for lung health found that “participants reported physical health improvements such as reduced breathlessness on activity. The content and delivery of singing classes observed displayed a good level of fidelity, suggesting that SLH training is effective.”
5. Improve language and communication skills 3-fold
There are 3 ways that singing improves your communication skills.
1. Listening
To sing, you also need to listen, and not just with your ears. You need to listen with your whole being. You could consider this mindfulness training at its core. This type of hearing is more of an inward listening than just something done outwardly.
2. Understanding text
Singing transports emotion. The transition between the movements of various song parts requires a deep understanding of emotions and how to transition from one to the other.
Believe it or not, singing, just like speaking, happens on multiple levels at once.
One level is the melody which conveys the emotion — that color and movement.
The next level is the intent or purpose. A song always wants to tell you something. On the surface, it’s the words, but deep down, it’s a story.
Another level is the question. Every word we utter, whether spoken or sung, tells us something about an inner search. With some mindfulness and empathy, you can notice that there is always something being asked, a subtext behind things said. Music, or singing, for that matter, is no different.
3. Mindfulness
Singers will always seek clarity in their performances — clarity in terms of what they are supposed to sound like. What do I need to understand about this piece so that I can sing it authentically?
That does not mean that singing to improve language and communication skills requires one to be a professional singer. What it does mean is that when done with the intention to do it to the best of your ability, it is like a mindfulness exercise.
You discover things nothing else can show you. You hone your communication and social skills because the more you understand yourself, the better you automatically understand others. Thus, you improve your communication and social skills tremendously just by singing with the right mindset and intent.
Translation and Research by Patty Zhang
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