Music is not only a pleasant way to pass the time. The benefits it has on our health are many.
Music is part of all of our lives. On the road, at home relaxing, when we go out – and when we decide not to go out because there is no music. All of us have a very close and very personal relationship with our favorite songs. But did you know that music is also good for health?
Calming music
According to many studies in ICU patients, their favorite music lowered stress levels significantly. Obviously, this is something that we have all experienced in everyday life, but it is interesting that it was also confirmed in a clinical context. Music has a unique link to our emotions, and research has found that it can be used as an extremely effective stress management tool. Both listening to and making music can alleviate mild and chronic stress.
Jazz music helps us eat less
In a study done where restaurants changed the music they played to jazz, and dimmed the lighting slightly, customers ate about 18% less. The present study rejects a popular notion, which states that people order more food and eat more when they are at a relaxed environment.
Music without words helps concentration
Pleasant, uplifting or even dynamic orchestral music can help greatly with tasks that require concentration. Music is certainly stimulating and can keep a person mentally alert. There is much evidence that music training improves brain function and structure.
Music can lower blood pressure
It has been shown again and again by research that our favorite music provides relaxation, making our blood vessels dilate and the blood circulate better. We know that the calming effect of music can help lower blood pressure. This study unsurprisingly found that patients who listened to classical music benefitted from a small decrease in blood pressure while listening, which would ease the work rate of the heart.
Singing lifts the mood
In fact, research has shown that group singing, like in a choir, is even more effective as an anti-depressant. Amongst other things, singing and dancing are two exercises that we can all do any time of the day or evening. We don’t have to go outside to do them. We can stay in our own homes in the warmth. We don’t need to buy new clothes, spend money on memberships that we know we won’t honour. We can just turn on the radio and go! Therefore, try to sing with your friends more often.
Playing a musical instrument protects our brain
Acquiring new knowledge throughout our lives is important, and learning a musical instrument will help a lot with that. In the long run, this also reduces the risk of dementia and other degenerative brain diseases. Playing a musical instrument is the brain equivalent of a full-body workout. Unlike other brain-training activities like chess and sudoku, playing an instrument recruits almost every part of the brain, including regions that process vision, sound, movement, and memory.
Calming music in the car relaxes the nerves
If you’re one of those drivers who doesn’t hold back and swears or gets angry easily, a relaxing playlist can be just what you need to drive more calmly. Listening to music has been repeatedly proven to lower stress levels. Research has shown it can reduce levels of stress hormones, lessen pain, and improve cardiovascular health. And, a recent study confirmed that tuning in is helpful behind the wheel specifically; it found that the heart health of relatively inexperienced (and perhaps nervous) drivers was measurably better when they played soothing music.
We work faster
When we work with music, we are more likely to finish faster. Be careful, though, this applies more to jobs that are more mechanical and repetitive, as music can distract you from a more creative task.
Music activates the production of dopamine
The hormones that make us feel happy are produced by our brains when we listen to music – in fact, research has shown that the moment this kicks in is often the moment we expect our favorite spot to start. Research has found that when a subject listens to music that gives them the chills, it triggers a release of dopamine to the brain. And if you don’t know, dopamine is a kind of naturally occurring happy chemical we receive as part of a reward system.
It helps a lot with exercise
Upbeat, uplifting music goes a long way in keeping us focused on our workout and not giving up. This is because music distracts us from stressing our bodies, allowing us to exercise harder.
