The Health Benefits of Music.
It's night time. It's been the usual hectic day. You're physically zonked and finally in bed, but your mind is still wide-awake. This happens regularly. Your choices are to toss-and-turn... or reach for your iphone. Okay, so I'm a closet-social-media addict! Then, I read a great article and justify all those hours spent online. Now, I'm a night-time online-researcher, gleaning information to benefit my family.
The Question: Does listening to music with your family have benefits?
The Experiment: During dinner prep and dinner, we listened to music that we all liked. We played guess the movie that the song was from. We sang, danced, then ate together... for at least a week.
The Result: Dinner prep was fun and motivating (no surprise there). The kids ate their dinner quicker. We had fun together. It became a fun family tradition (communal bonding).
Sing yourself better:
- Increases oxygenation in bloodstream
- Exercises major muscle groups in upper body (even when sitting)
- Reduces stress and improves mood
- Promotes healthy heart
- Enhances mental state
- Lowers blood pressure
- Boosts your immune system
- Improves breathing
- Reduces perceived pain
- Forges comforting memories
- Promotes learning in children
- Promotes communal bonding
- Provides comfort
- Motivates and empowers
- Helps you live longer
Some things can only be cured by music.
by Lystra Bisschop
Sources:
University of London Study, Professor Graham Welch, (shows the health benefits of singing are both physical and psychological).
Yale and Harvard Study (shows that choral singing increased the life expectancy of the population of New Haven, Connecticut).
University of Gothenburg Study (shows that musical structure influences the heart rate of choir members and has positive effects on health).