Why Singing is Surprisingly Good for your Health

This article got my attention for it's health and social benefits as my Granddaughter sings in 3 different choirs and my daughter was in a high school choir.

Fortunately they didn't inherit my inability to carry a tune.

So I've included an alternative for you and me at the end of this Bonus. (Peggy)

It's that time of year when people are singing traditional songs from "Jingle Bells" to "O Holy NIght" and giving their own health a boost in the process.

From Your Brain to the Your Heart

"Singing is a cognitive, physical, emotional and social act"

Psychologists have long marvelled at how people who sing together can develop a powerful sense of social cohesion, with even among the most reluctant of vocalists becoming united in song. Research has shown that complete strangers can forge unusually close bonds after singing together for an hour.

• Singing in groups or choirs has even been found to boost our immune function in ways that simply listening to the same music cannot.

Measurable Physical Benefits

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are clear physical benefits for the lungs and respiratory system from singing.

• Improves people's heart rate 

• Improve blood pressure

Some researchers have been using singing to help people with lung diseases

and

Rehabilitation from brain injury

"The studies are just starting to emerge which are showing that singing can have these effects, even for people with significant injury. Singing can be a way to achieve the hours of repetition that are needed to create new connectivity in the brain, for example between the hemispheres."

Singing and Your Neurobiology

From a biological standpoint, it's thought that singing:

1. Activates the vagus nerve which is directly connected to the vocal cords and muscles in the back of the throat.

2. The prolonged and controlled exhalation involved releases endorphins associated with:

   • Pleasure,

   • Wellbeing

   • Suppression of pain.

3. Singing activates a broad network of neurons on both sides of our brain, causing regions that deal with language, movement and emotion to light up.

4. The focus on breathing singing requires, make it an effective stress reliever

Singing and Your Ancestors

"There could be some deep-rooted reasons for these benefits too.

Some anthropologists believe that our hominid ancestors sang before they could speak, using vocalisations to mimic the sounds of nature or express feelings."

"This may have played a key role in the development of complex social dynamics, emotional expression and ritual . . . it's no accident that singing is part of every human's life, whether musically inclined or not, noting that our brains and bodies are attuned from birth to respond in positive ways to song."

• "Lullabies are sung to children

• Songs are sung at funerals

• Children learn times tables through chanting, and ABCs through rhythmic and melodic structure.

Not all types of singing are equally beneficial.

"Singing as part of a group or a choir, for example, has been found to promote a greater level of psychological wellbeing than in solo singers. For this reason, educational researchers have used singing as a tool for promoting cooperation, language development and emotional regulation in children."

Reference: Is Singing Good for Your Health?

Can't carry a tune or even drag it behind you?

We've got you covered!

HUMmmmmm!